Pluto
by Khaleda
Summary: Raven had matured into a woman that could completely disarm you with one look. The fact that she could read your mind, materialize at will, and control forces beyond your comprehension was sheer overkill. Jinx/Raven.
1. Chapter 1

"Are you alright?"

I blinked slowly and turned towards the voice. "What?"

My co-worker leaned closer and repeated himself. "I asked if you were alright…"

"Oh… yeah, I'm fine," I gestured with an empty glass. "Just thinking."

He cocked a brow at me. "How the hell can you think with it so loud in here?"

To tell the truth; I didn't know the answer. He was right to question how someone could be so introspective in a loud and rowdy bar on a Friday night. Especially the bartender. "Just a talent, I suppose," I murmured as I shoved a tray of dirty glasses into the dishwasher.

"Heeeeeeere Kitty-kitty-kitty," some drunk asshole bellowed down the bar, followed by laughter. I clenched my jaw and glanced down the bar, immediately locating the offender. Ben touched my elbow and I turned my glare at him.

"I've got it," he said quietly, despite the roar of the crowd. "Why don't you take a breather? As much as I'd love to watch you pound some prick's face in, our boss tends to frown on it…"

I scowled even more and grunted a reply before disappearing into the back. I wandered past coolers and the small kitchen, thankful of the reprieve from noise. The dull fluorescent lights in the employee bathroom shrunk my vertical pupils to slits as I stared at my reflection in the dingy mirror. I looked angry, I thought. And tired. And something else I couldn't put a name to. I turned on the faucet and filled my hands with cool water, watching it pour over my fingers. What was I doing with my life?

I splashed the water on my face and heaved a gentle sigh. Fuck if I know.

I tilted my head to the side, regarding myself closely. I looked normal enough. My once flamboyant and outrageously pink hair was now an ordinary dirty-blonde. It was cut short and layered; spikey and stylish still, of course, but still just so… ordinary. My skin was pale, maybe even more so than in my younger years. Life tends to do that to you. I could pass for any twenty-six year old woman living in California. But no matter how hard I tried to blend in, to be normal and unremarkable; my eyes always give me away.

Normal people don't have fuchsia cat-eyes, it seems.

Hence the cat calls out in the bar. You'd think that after all these years I'd have gotten used to it. You'd think I would have gotten used to a lot of things. But I didn't. I could wear contacts to completely mask what I was and just vanish into society as another social security number. But regardless of how badly I wanted to be normal, I just couldn't bring myself to completely drown out myself. I wasn't human, no matter how much I pretended.

Everyone knows it sucks to grow up. For me that entailed changing my ways to avoid a lifetime of running from the wondrous laws that normal people abide by. It was easy enough after the Brotherhood fell to pieces; especially after the world almost came to an end. A nice little wake-up call. Ring-ring. It's reality, and it's looking for you.

So, long story short… I got a job, an apartment, and pay taxes. I'm miserable, just like everyone else. And here I am, having a small aside in a tiny bar bathroom. Glorious, isn't it? This is the stuff people want to read about.

I unceremoniously exited the quiet sanctuary and trudged back to the storm of voices. Sometimes I wished I could stomach alcohol enough to enjoy it like those people did. But I couldn't, partly due to extremely fast metabolism. So instead, I am the collector of broken dreams. They gave me money for the libations they so greedily swallowed, but with each and every sip they gave me their grief; disappointments; regrets. Like I don't have enough of my own.

Ben glanced at me as I slipped behind the bar once again. I liked Ben enough. He made working here tolerable, and he seemed genuinely concerned about my well being enough that we were friends. I gave him a small nod and turned to ask a customer what they wanted.

Working here wasn't that bad; there were many worse things I could be doing. Being attractive and a little exotic, especially to the intoxicated, meant tips were large. I lived comfortably enough. I worked at night and slept the morning and day away; something I did enjoy. I was good at bartending, and when I wasn't in an increasingly foul mood, I had a knack for dealing with people. Listening was usually the only thing required. Occasionally a little advice was to be given. Rarely, strong words to shake someone out of a train of thought. Was it really my job to watch over people? I don't know. But they paid me for my services well.

"Hey, I just wanted to ask you sumthin'," a woman my age and three martinis into her night leaned on the bar. "Where did you get those contacts? They are damn cool…"

"I'm sorry to say it's a secret," I smiled half-heartedly. "Want another?" I gestured to the empty glass in her hand.

Her head wobbled a yes before she spoke. "…yeah, another. You really won't tell me, huh? I swear I'll keep it a secret."

Little did she know that I wasn't trying to stand out at all. I poured her drink and set it before her with a wink. "It wouldn't be a secret, then." She gave me a pout before she shuffled away into the mass. I really just wanted to go home to my cozy little apartment, curl up on the couch with a pint of Haagen-Dazs and enjoy a nice zombie movie. But it was far too early; four a.m. was five hours away and rent was due.

"Hey Jen, toss me the muddler," Ben shouted above the music. I scooped up the metal and rubber utensil, giving it a twirl around my index finger before sending it sailing in his direction. He caught it with a wince, immediately shaking out his hand with a wry grin. Ben knew I was a metahuman; I was stronger than him, despite my five-foot-seven, slender frame. Generally I didn't show it, but all bets were off when I was in a mood.

"Thanks, Jen…" he shook his head and returned to the mojito he was making. I think I needed a vacation. He probably did too, having to deal with me five nights a week.

"Two shots of whisky, and a beer chaser!"

Sometimes I just wanted to slap people. Yes, this is my job, I _serve_ people, despite the sour taste that puts in my mouth. That doesn't mean things like "please" and "thank you" aren't needed any longer. I glanced at the impatient face waving money in my direction.

"Excuse me, may I have a White Russian, please?" I heard a meek voice from behind a large, burly man.

"Of course," I shouted to them, whoever they were. I saw dark hair and pale skin, but with the dim lights and press of bodies, all I could make out was short female. I ignored the yell for 'two shots of whisky, and a beer chaser' again as I gathered the vodka and milk. He shouted something else cloaked in irritation and obscenities; I didn't give a shit. My bar, my choice, silly mortal. Don't you know I'm God here?

I finished off the White Russian and stretched up on my toes, peering over the bodies for the woman. I saw her hand above the heads of the crowd, and someone passed the five dollar bill she was holding along to me. I gave the drink to the nearest man and he stretched over into the crowd and it disappeared. I assumed she got her White Russian and moved down the bar to another customer, ignoring the dick screaming for whisky. I chuckled to myself.

The night went on in a similar fashion, and around three the crowd began to thin. By this time, whoever was left was far beyond wasted, and instead of crowding the floor they leaned against walls and propped themselves up with chairs, speakers, and other bodies. I had my back turned as I wiped down the shelves, eager to finish my shift and go.

"Excuse me, m'am."

I cast a quick glance over my shoulder at the woman as I wiped down bottles. "What can I get you?"

"I'm not really sure. I don't get out very much." Her voice was low and smooth, like water bubbling down a brook. And sober. Odd, for this hour. Still, I was on a mission, and continued cleaning.

"Well, what kind of flavors do you like? You don't sound like a beer drinker to me. More like red wine. We have a pretty large selection of that…"

"I do like red wine," I heard her seat herself on the stool. "But I was looking for something a little stronger, and sweeter, perhaps."

Ugh, why couldn't it just have been some guy wanting another bud light? I didn't want to coerce a drink choice out of another picky person; I just wanted to go home… "Baileys maybe? I could make a chocolate martini that'll knock you on your ass," I offered.

"I think that would be lovely," she said quietly.

"I will get right on it," I said dryly.

A dry chuckle answered, and I glance over my shoulder again. The woman was resting her chin on her fist and gazing at the illuminated shelves behind the bar with an endless selection of liquor. Midnight black hair fell past her shoulder, and side-parted bangs shadowed her eyes; I had a feeling I was amusing her. No matter; I didn't care if the attractive woman thought I was amusing as long as she tipped me for my trouble. Or just left quickly so I could finish my work.

I tossed down my towel and slid down the shelves, collecting what I needed. I poured the cream, vodka, milk, baileys, and chocolate liquor into the shaker with some ice. After a quick shake and a smooth pour into a martini glass, I finished it off with a drizzle of dark chocolate. It was a yummy drink, and it was strong, especially for a light-weight. I set a napkin down in front of her and as I placed the glass down, I met her eyes for the first time.

And I stared. Her eyes were violet. They widened as the seconds ticked by, and I knew she was shocked to see my equally unusually colored irises. My mouth went dry. I knew her. I _knew_ her.

"…Jinx?" she said, bewildered.

I just stood there, hand still wrapped around the glass that was resting in front of my former rival like an idiot; frozen in an unsettling mixture of shock and excitement. I blinked finally, and pulled my hand away. "I haven't gone by that name in eight years…" I ran my eyes over her face, ending on those all-too familiar eyes. "Raven?"

Her silence was the answer. She hadn't gone by that name in a long time either, I gathered.

We stared in silence for quite a while, I guessed, because eventually Ben made his way down. He paused, glancing between the two of us. "…Is everything ok here, ladies?" He looked at me. "Jennifer?"

After a moment I found my voice. "Yeah, we are fine. This is just… an old friend," I finally looked away from those dark, haunting eyes and returned to my cleaning. My heart was thumping in my chest like I was sixteen. I never thought I'd ever run into one of them again. I moved far north from the city I once called home just for that reason. Yet here one was, and really; the only one that ever mattered to me.

I felt her eyes on me as I cleaned. I had no idea what else to do. It's not like I could just start making idle chit-chat with a Titan. Especially one I haven't seen in almost a decade. Especially _her_… she made me nervous. Yet I was curious beyond reason. I mean, what are the chances? She was the only rival that ever managed to be my equal. We complimented one another marvelously in battle, and upon seeing her again, a twang of sadness in my chest reminded me how much I missed the old days. Not really the stealing or life of crime, but that I had missed seeing her. Raven. My mystery. After I couldn't stand it any longer, I spun around and stared at her.

"I didn't know you drink," I said tactlessly.

She gazed at me from behind those long bangs and her lips quirked into a smile. "I'm not eighteen anymore, Jinx. There's a lot you don't know about me."

I snorted in disbelief. No fucking way that emotionless woman just smiled at me. "That's for damn sure," I gestured to her. "Look at you. You're wearing real clothes. The last time I saw you, you were in tights."

Raven took a sip of her drink and ran her fingertip along the rim idly. "The last time I saw you, you had pink horns and a miniskirt."

"You're one to talk," I leaned closer. "Your hair is black. It used to be blue. And your gemmy-thing is gone."

"Gemmy-thing? Did you really just say that?"

"I did," I nodded solemnly. Then scrambled for something else to say. "Your hair's really long."

"Your hair is really short," she countered. "And blonde. You look very different. I didn't recognize you until I saw your eyes."

I nodded slowly, running my eyes over her, "...same here." I watched her take another sip. "…You're very attractive—You look nice, I mean," I said awkwardly and immediately felt my cheeks redden.

The comment took her by surprise and she choked, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth.

"I'm sorry I'm… I'm just gonna go now. Ben will be here until closing if you want anything else," I backed away from her until I disappeared behind the corner. I raked my hands thought my hair, cursing under my breath. _Idiot, what the fuck are you doing?_ I scrambled for my keys and waved in Ben's general direction as I bolted out the back door into the cool night air.

_How embarrassing… The first peer you've seen in eight years and you fuck it up by saying stupid shit without thinking…_ I muttered under my breath as I slammed my car door shut and started the engine. My cheeks still burned, and I turned up the radio, blasting whatever shit was playing at the time; I don't remember what it was. I didn't notice. I was, shall we say, distracted…


	2. Chapter 2

I didn't sleep well that morning. Dreams, memories from my past, ravaged my sleeping mind; some uncomfortably pleasant, and others unbearably cruel. I finally dragged myself from my tousled bed to my bathroom at one p.m., which I might add, is two hours earlier than my normal waking hour. It should be said that _nothing_ disturbs my sleep. _Ever_. The sentiment wasn't lost on me as I started the shower and stared at myself in the mirror.

Humans, by nature, are very vain creatures. I can't say I'm excluded from that claim due to my beyond-human abilities. There were _bags_ under my eyes. I looked like shit. I wondered if Raven woke to find herself looking like me; hair messed beyond recognition; eyes puffy and squinted from sleep, or lack there of. Would she be standing as I am, waiting for the water to warm, thinking back to our startled meeting?

_No_, I groaned, she'd be thinking of what I blurted out before promptly escaping her company. Would she take offense? Did I care? Yes, yes I did. I dropped everything I knew, everyone I'd known, and moved north for a clean start. I missed it a little, but nothing compared to what I was feeling right now, after the sight of…_her_. I did care. She was the only other person that understood. Fuck, she had it insurmountably worse than I did, and she looked pretty damn good last night.

Which is what I said… Even now, alone in my own goddamn bathroom, I blushed.

I was late to the start of my shift for the first time in the five years I'd been working there. Ebin, one of the cooks, watched me prowl to the computer to clock in. I was only seven minutes late, but still; I was never late.

"Holy fucking shit," he looked at his watch. "I do believe you've just started the Apocalypse."

"Fuck off, Ebin," I muttered as I tied on my bar apron and started unlocking the alcohol cabinets.

He smiled good-naturedly at my way of greeting and leaned over the bar, watching me. "Ben told me you left in a hurry last night," he raised one brow. "I've never know you to let a patron of this noble establishment bother you in such a way," he said eloquently, jeering.

"What about the time I broke a bottle over that guy's head when he grabbed my ass," I offered as I stacked the rums in their place.

"It was a 1964 Shiraz, three-quarters full, and the boss-man was a little pissed you chose that particular bottle… I thought it was hilarious," he laughed, then gave me a sideways glance. "You wouldn't have hit her, though. So what was up with you last night?"

I wasn't exactly in the mood to discuss what I was feeling on the whole matter. I couldn't have said what I would have done, had I stayed. Knocking Raven to the floor with a booze bottle was not it. I couldn't say that just the sight of her last night made my pulse race and warmed something inside me. I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Don't you have prep to do?"

After a long pause, he chuckled, rubbing his brow. "I think, after all these years, I've finally found your button."

"Don't make me hurt you, Ebin."

"I'm going, I'm going…" He got up and turned the corner, pausing to lean back into my view. "Do you think she'll be back tonight?"

I hadn't thought of that, actually. Irritated, I answered him with a small can of pineapple juice hurled in his direction with a little magic. It exploded against the far wall, leaving a dent.

"Jesus, woman," he laughed from down the hallway. "I'm not cleaning that up."

Neither was I.

The evening started out steady, as most Saturdays do. Ben and I worked through the first rush, ensuring everyone was buzzed by the time the DJ arrived at ten. All the while, I watched the crowd. Every time I saw long dark hair my heart thumped with a bizarre mix of anxiety and longing. Did I really want to see her again?

I watched a man chug an Irish Car bomb, sloshing the disgusting mixture down his front with cheers of encouragement all around. I sighed. Yes, I did want to see her again.

"Soo…" Ben drawled. He leaned beside me to help polish glasses. "Who was that woman last night?"

"An old friend," I said automatically.

"Right, you said that…" he smirked. "I meant, what's her name, where do you know her from, you know… an actual answer."

"Why does it matter?" I took great interest in buffing out a smudge on a martini glass.

"Because you bolted like a scared cat, Jen, and I'm not trying to be funny. You were blushing. She was blushing…"

I looked up and wanted to slap myself as the words left my mouth. "She blushed?" I couldn't help it, I was so damn interested.

Ben nodded. "Yep. It was cute. She finished her drink, left you a ten dollar tip, and excused herself for the evening." He gave me a sly look. "Must have enjoyed whatever you said to her…"

I glared at him.

"What?" He laughed, holding up his hands in a submissive gesture. "I'm just saying I approve. She's incredibly attractive… Those eyes… And that voice… ooooh," he closed his eyes and tilted his head back. "I'm jealous."

I chose that moment to duck down below the bar to feign organizing so he wouldn't see the heat creeping across my features. I took a deep breath and counted to ten before standing. "You should be jealous. She's different, like me. I haven't seen her in eight years and I'm a little frightened of her."

"You're frightened of her?" He raised a brow. "…Do the two of you have history?"

I almost laughed. "You could say that." He gave me a look and I continued. "The things she can do are a little unsettling, Ben. And the things she's gone through… well, she should be dead."

He tilted his head to the side and stared at me for a moment. "I believe you," he said quietly. "You don't exaggerate. That woman looked very calm, poised, and in control as she sat on that stool and made you look the exact opposite."

_She's changed_, I thought as I scanned the crowd. "Which is why I'm a little apprehensive, Ben. Last time we saw each other, we weren't exactly friends."

"Well, then you have a lot to think about." He straightened from his lean and slid down the bar to make a drink, leaving me to my thoughts. I tried to remember the exact moment we saw each other last.

The sky was a sickly vermillion; the city reduced to rubble. Murmurs and shrieks alike filled the streets. They thought it was The End. I wasn't convinced it was the end of the world despite the fires burning all around, fueled by flames falling from the sky. I wasn't convinced as people I knew simply vanished, plummeted to the beyond in the giant fissures that wracked the city. No, I wasn't even convinced when I saw him, the one they called Trigon, burst forth from a portal in time and let loose a roar that chilled me to the bone.

What convinced me was when Raven stepped between the demon and the city of Jump, and called him, Father.

In that instant, I knew. And I ran for my life.

I wasn't around to watch the battle unfold; but I heard about it. How Trigon the Terrible fell at the hands of his half-bred spawn. How Raven banished him into the beyond whence he came, and with it, consumed his very power, burying it deep. She was almost dead when the Titans found her, a crumpled heap of pale flesh and fragile bone huddled in a ball in the middle of the ash-strewn streets.

I visited her in the Titan's medical ward. But she wouldn't remember. She was too far withdrawn into herself, mending the broken fibers of her being in a way words can't describe. I remember telling her how brave she was, and how proud everyone was of her. She who banished Trigon. I knew very few else would feel that way; after all, she was the portal that let him through. She was his daughter, and she alone inherited his power. Word on the streets called her a weapon; a dangerous one marked by demon magic and hellfire.

I left a few days after, never to return to Jump. Was I a coward? I didn't think so. I had nothing there for me but an old life wracked with bad decisions and long nights in prison cells if I were caught. Everyone knew me there, and I had little chance of cleaning up my name and prospering. So I moved to where no one knew me or the things I've seen and done.

Maybe Raven did the same.

The night dragged on with no sight of the woman who'd been plaguing my thoughts. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. I glanced at the clock on the computer screen and sighed, noting that my shift would be over in two minutes and Raven hadn't returned. Maybe I frightened her off. I finished my cleaning and said goodbye to Ben for the night. With my pace slow and meandering, I made my way out the back door towards my car.

It was a cute little beat-up mini cooper I'd instantly fell in love with. It needed a new coat of paint, the heater only worked when you spoke nicely to it, and the leather interior was worn and tattered. The previous owner had replaced the handle of the shifter with a black skull, which amused me endlessly. As I drew close to the door with my key ready, I paused. I couldn't tell you why, exactly, I just _knew_ someone was there.

I spun, hand clenched into a fist and faltered immediately. No one was there. I looked around bewildered; I was sure I had felt the presence of another. But the well lit parking lot was deserted of people. Frowning, I turned back to unlock my door.

"What are you doing, Jinx?" an amused voice spoke from the other side of my car. I nearly jumped out of my skin as the woman chuckled. I glared at her.

"I could ask the same thing, Raven," I murmured, playing with the keys in my hand. _Shit, she's here… now what?_

She stared at me from behind her long, side-parted bangs, and I couldn't help but admire how together she looked. "Why did you leave so abruptly last night?" she said quietly.

I swallowed and looked away. "You should know the answer, empath."

Her lips curved into a smile and she brushed a strand of black hair back into place. "Perhaps… You were surprised to see me. You were nervous," she shifted her shoulders in an absent-minded gesture, adjusting the short coat she wore. "I could feel your heart thumping; you were intrigued and… afraid," she frowned. "Why?"

I blinked at her. "You're really asking me why?" I laughed. "Oh Raven… I haven't seen you in a long, long time, but that doesn't mean I've forgotten what you're capable of. We weren't on friendly terms if you remember correctly."

"Ah… well it seems no one trusts the daughter of a demon. I imagine they would have locked me up out of fear if I hadn't slipped away silently." She leaned against the car parked beside mine and stared up at the moon. "I'm not a Titan anymore. You've nothing to fear from me, Jinx."

I watched her curiously. So composed, yet open. It seemed as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders all those years ago. "If you say so, Raven... That is what you still go by, isn't it?"

She smiled at that. "Yes, you may call me Raven."

A silence fell between us, and I fidgeted. It was awkward to me, just standing there in the parking lot, with those haunting violet eyes watching my every move. I think she was enjoying it, by the slight smirk on her pale lips.

"…Do you want to grab something to eat?" I offered suddenly to break the silence.

"I would like that, yes," she nodded. "But where?"

"There's a little diner a few blocks away. They have decent food and the place is quiet." I eyed the car she was leaning against. "Did you drive here?"

She blinked slowly and turned to look at the car. "Oh, no. I didn't drive."

"Then… how did you get here?"

She tilted her head to the side slightly. "Oh, you know. I believe you call it the 'scary blackness.'"

I shuddered at the memory of being dragged through space with Raven, through the black magic that stole the warmth from your body and filled your ears with screams. I didn't know how she could stand it. "Ah… I see." I looked down at my car. "You can ride with me, if you like."

"You don't want to ride with me?" she asked dryly, waving her fingers in a subtle gesture that spawned a black mist; it hovered beside her, swirling ominously.

"No, I insist." I unlocked the doors. "Ride with me."

"As you wish," she smiled, and the mist vanished. She got in the car and gently shut the door; immediately her eyes ran over everything. I imagined her cataloguing my life from the contents of my car; the old Mountain Dew can stuck in the cup holder; unopened junk mail on the back seat; a few bar aprons I hadn't bothered to wash; whatever that mysterious sticky stuff was on the passenger door. I thought, _how embarrassing_, but then, I'd been blushing around her and just the mention of her all day; so what did it matter? I started the engine and backed out of the parking space.

After a few minutes of silence, she spoke. "You know, I was only teasing," she gave me a sideways glance.

"You were only teasing about what?"

"That was my car."

I laughed then, long and loud. "You're just evil."

"I am," she said proudly.

I smiled at her in the small confines of my mini cooper and felt more alive than I had in my entire life. And whatever she had planned—because she was planning something, of this I was sure—would make my days infinitely more interesting at the very least. I mean, I was pretty damn crazy in my own right, but never had I imagined Raven to act this way. She must have lost her damn mind.

"You're stalking me, aren't you," I murmured as I pulled the car into a parking space and killed the engine.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car with a wry grin. "Do they have milkshakes here?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Yes…"

"Good," she shut the door and buried her hands in her pockets. "Are you going to get out of the car?"

"I haven't decided yet," I called out to her.

She was suddenly at my open door, so close I could feel the heat pouring off her. I inhaled sharply and glanced up at her.

"It's four thirty in the morning, Jinx. I'm hungry, you're hungry, and playing a stubborn game with me will get you nowhere," she bent down slowly, meeting my eyes. "I know what you desire, after all," she whispered.

I gave her a funny look; she really must have gone crazy in the time we'd been apart. "And... what do I desire?"

"Hash browns."

I swore. She was right.


	3. Chapter 3

I'd have to say that the walk from my car to the table inside the diner was one of the longest walks I've ever experienced. And for the life of me, I couldn't tell you why. There was no distinctness to the feeling that made my chest tighten and mouth go dry as I followed Raven. No single thing piqued my interest, but a subtle wash of countless things did. It was mildly alarming that I wasn't more unsettled by the ex-Titan's abrupt appearance. In fact, the opposite was occurring. I was on the verge of thrilled. It took a few deep breaths to regain some semblance of my usual façade as we filed in the front door.

"Booth?" Raven inquired with a faintly raised brow and a slight tone in her inflection. Maybe it was my imagination, but the empath suddenly seemed nervous.

"Yes," I scanned the small diner, gesturing to an empty booth in the far corner. She turned slowly and glided to the table. I blinked and stared. I'd forgotten that the woman really could glide. Hell, she could _fly_. I followed her, choosing to sit across from her in the rather close booth.

Raven pulled a menu off the condiment rack. I watched her eyes scan the laminated paper as she read; I lingered on the gesture when she brushed a strand of wayward black hair from her eyes.

"See anything you like?" she asked without taking her eyes off the menu.

I'm not sure I had any capacity left to be embarrassed, so I grinned as casually as I could. "Like you said… hash browns…"

An amused look graced her normally blank face, and she slid the menu back in its place. "Were you just implying that I was right?"

I scowled a bit at that. "…No."

"Jinx, Jinx, Jinx… that long pause leads one to believe that you're lying."

I waved my hand in a dismissive gesture. "I have no idea what you're talking about… Are you getting a milkshake?"

"Yes."

How could that one word hold so much intensity? _Yes. __**Yes**_. I tried to imitate it in my mind and failed. I shifted in the booth; the cheap vinyl cushions creaked. "What flavor?"

She tilted her head slightly, lips curving into a smile. In that instant, I'd given anything to know what she was thinking.

"Strawberry."

I nodded slowly, watching her lips. _…Where the hell is the goddamn server?_ I blinked away at the sound of the front door shutting as someone left. I was acting stupid. Time for defensive maneuvering. "So," I stretched in the booth casually, "What have you been up to these last eight years or so?"

"I've been on the run from the law," she said in that quiet monotone that was distinctly her own.

I stared. "You're being facetious, right?"

Then came that shrug again.

I slowly raised a brow, leaning over the table. "I don't believe you."

"Why don't you believe me?"

"Because," I gestured. "You used to be a Titan_. I_ was the one on the run from the law. You just don't strike me as the type to take up a life of crime." I crossed my arms and leaned back in the booth. "Besides. I don't think you would be very good at it."

That got her attention. Both brows raised a fraction of an inch and she stared at me with those dark, violet eyes. "You don't think I would be very good at it?"

Well now I wasn't so sure after the tone she'd said that in. "No, I don't," I said firmly, despite that sinking feeling creeping its way into the pit of my stomach. It was exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time.

She just continued to sit there, still as stone, staring at me. After a few seconds it grew most uncomfortable, but I didn't squirm. I was Jinx, goddamnit. I didn't squirm. Even with the spawn of Trigon staring me down. Right?

"What'll it be, ladies?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound. A fifty-something year old woman in an apron and holding a notepad was staring at me like I was a lunatic. "What?" I blinked at her.

"What'll it be?" she was annoyed now.

"Oh." I looked over at Raven, who had a faint smirk and amused eyes. I glared at her. "I'll have the hash browns and my mute friend here wants a strawberry milkshake."

"Do you want coffee or somethin'?" she mumbled.

"Coffee with cream."

The woman scribbled something down and stalked away without another word. I turned back to Raven. "Now she thinks we're both nuts."

"We are both nuts, Jinx."

"I'm hardly nuts," I fiddled with the zipper to my jacket. "And I still don't believe you."

"Believe what you like," she said dryly, gesturing casually towards me. "What have you been up to these last eight years or so, then?"

I eyed her for a moment, unsure of her tactics. "I've been doing this the entire time. Pretty exciting, no?"

She actually smiled genuinely at that; one that flashed white teeth and lit her eyes with emotion. I'm sure my jaw dropped.

"You have a nice smile," I blurted before I could think of anything else to say. _Shut-up you fucking idiot! Gods…_

That made her throw her head back and laugh. The sound alone sent a warm brush against my skin, and I realized in that moment, that Raven was indeed nervous. Nervous laughter. Nervous, why? Was she not used to feeling emotions still after all these years? Perhaps she just wasn't used to dealing with certain kinds of emotions. How incredibly fascinating.

I blinked at that, waiting for her to quiet. "You're happy to see me."

She paused, looking at me as if I'd suddenly grown more interesting. "Yes," she nodded slowly, "I'm happy to see you."

A slow smile spread across my lips. "You missed me."

Her eyes narrowed so slightly I wasn't sure if it was just a flicker in the dull florescent lights or actual irritation. She shifted silently in the booth, looking across the diner. "Perhaps I did," she finally said.

It was my turn to laugh, and oh did I ever. I laughed like a lunatic, and I wasn't ashamed of it in the slightest. "I fucking knew it," I slammed my palms against the edge of the table, leaning forward. "You are stalking me."

"I am not," she replied tersely.

I ran a hand through my hair as I caught my breath. "Why did you lie about having a car then?"

"Because I'm conscientious about lowering my carbon footprint," she said wryly, without missing a beat.

"Oh bullshit… You wanted an excuse to get in the car with me."

She tilted her head to the side, ever-so-slightly. "Why would I need an excuse?"

Our lovely server shuffled over, setting our food, drinks, and the check down on the table with a loud clack. She was gone just as quickly as she appeared, and I blinked down at my hash browns. Why _would_ she need an excuse? I was instantly suspicious now. When in doubt, say the first thing that comes to mind. "Uh… Well, because you're attracted to me." _Smooth, Jinx. Smooth_.

Raven chuckled softly, cradling her milkshake in her hands. I watched the marks left by the warmth of her fingertips in the frosted glass. She toyed with the drink idly. What was she thinking? Why was I so interested? It was maddening.

"Yes," she said simply, before wrapping her lips around the straw, taking a long, slow drink of the bright pink shake.

I watched, transfixed, before realizing what I was doing. _Wait, wait_. I furrowed my brow, looking her in the eyes. "Yes?" What did that mean? And why did it suddenly make everything so…warm… "What do you mean, yes?"

She sat back in the booth, shifted, looked away before inhaling slowly. "It means that yes; I needed an excuse to get in the car with you."

I stirred sugar and cream into my coffee, watching her take long draws on her milkshake. She'd almost gotten me, I admit. "…And?" I raised one brow slowly, wondering briefly if it looked as elegantly effortless as when she did it.

Those violent eyes darkened a fraction, and I felt it in my gut. She was annoyed at having to explain herself. Ah, but the most amusing part was, she didn't have to explain herself at all. She could simply lie. Or leave. But she wanted to be here, for the exact reason she was struggling to put into words. It was suddenly like a chess game. _Check, Raven_.

"And yes, I'm attracted to you."

I wish I could have seen the shit eating grin I was wearing at that moment. "It's my winning personality, isn't it?" I took a sip of my coffee, suddenly feeling like my life was finally giving me something to work with. "Or my cute little outfits. I'll bet you miss that mini skirt and boots I used to wear."

"Perhaps," she was mildly amused now, and it showed on her face, despite her efforts to mask it. "I remember watching video surveillance tapes from locations you'd raided," she toyed with her straw, glancing up at me every so often. "You'd sneak in so gracefully, picking through the inventory in this one, long, flowing movement. A dance, if you will. Half of the time, you didn't even bother to shut down the cameras, and for a moment I thought it was sloppiness." She tilted her head slightly, regarding me. "But it was intention. You wanted the Titans to see; to know it was you and masterfully done. You wanted them to see your dance."

Sometime during her speech, I'd gone still; alarmed that she remembered and described it so vividly, and shocked that she'd said more than one sentence. It was a lot to process individually. Simultaneously, I was derailed. "What… I… Yeah?" I sat back in the booth.

My surprise had to be pleasing to her, but she didn't let it show in the slightest. I felt a precise strategy fall into place like the sound of a rifle bolt being cocked. All I could think was, _maybe we're not playing chess after all._

"I liked watching you dance," she continued. "Especially in person. No matter the circumstances, when the Hive and Titans engaged in combat, you somehow always found me. Back then it infuriated me. The way you bounded, curved, ducked around me; taunting, always smirking. You spared no expense when it came to getting under my skin. In retrospect, I wish I'd spent a little more time enjoying the show."

I blinked, slowly. _Words, I need to speak them, right now_. Why wasn't anything coming out of my mouth? Violet eyes locked with mine like crosshairs. I was so fucked.

"And now," she slid her empty glass to the side, folded her hands on the table between us and said in a low, gravelly tone, "I'm waiting for you to dance for me."

I think I died a little. My stomach turned in upon itself in a very pleasant way, and I inhaled sharply, trying to think of something marginally intelligent in reply. I licked my lips, nodded slowly, and decided that "I see," was the safest move.

Raven smiled then, and I knew in that instant, that she would be the death of me. But it would be a good death. An oh-so-good death. I probably wouldn't even notice. _Fuck, Jinx, snap out of it_.

"You want me to…dance…for you," I repeated, still not convinced I'd heard her right, despite the lengthy, albeit artfully cryptic description.

"Yes," she said.

It was very warm in this diner. I rubbed the back of my neck, regaining some composure when I sat back, crossed my arms, and smirked. "I won't make it easy for you."

She liked that response. Her eyes lit up and I saw a flash of teeth in her grin. "Good. Your hash browns are cold."

I glanced down at my untouched plate, wondering exactly how much time had elapsed since the server set it there. It certainly felt like an eternity to me. "So they are." I pushed the plate aside and cradled my coffee instead. _You can do this, Jinx. Just because this incredibly attractive woman detailed the extent of her interest in you after a period of eight years doesn't mean you can't hold it together and not melt into a pile of goo. It should alarm you, however, that she's still staring at you with that disturbingly eager expression. She's not finished. Run. Run fast._

"You're a fascinating creature, Jinx," she mused, chin resting on her fist in a mockery of nonchalance. "There are so many emotions pouring off you I'm surprised you haven't bolted out the door yet."

"I was working up to it," I chuckled, a little nervously.

Now that I knew Raven was indeed attracted to me, let alone interested in seeing more of me, it changed everything. I wasn't used to being the desired one. I didn't know how to react when someone I've known for so long confessed to enjoying watching me dance around in skimpy clothing. Mostly because she was the last person I would have ever pegged as being physically attracted to me. A part of me was rejoicing_. Ha! Take that, world. Even the ladies love me! _And then the other part was violently shaking its head. _Wait, wait. That's __**Raven**__. She's half demon. She's going to eat you alive and you'll enjoy every second of it!_ _Run, you fucking idiot!_ I like to ignore that last part usually.

I turned to the sound of the door opening and watched as four uniformed police officers meandered into the diner. I ran my eyes over them briefly as they settled down at a booth in quiet conversation. Still, after all these years, I can't quite kill my old habits of staying away from law enforcement. They tended to rain on my parade. When I turned back, Raven was gone. I blinked, looking around the diner. What the hell? I glanced down and found the check gone off the table. Confused, I went to the counter.

"Excuse me, ma'am? I lost my check. How much do I owe you?"

She stared at me like I was wasting precious time. "What are you getting' at? Your friend paid."

"What? When?"

"Just a second ago. Stop botherin' me, I don't have time for your pranks," she muttered and turned back to her register.

I buried my hands in my pockets and walked to the door. The four police officers paused, glancing up at me as I pushed the glass door open and walked out into the cool night air. Where did that woman go? As my eyes landed on my car, I spotted Raven leaning against it. Relief and anger flooded through me. "What the hell did you just do?"

She glanced back to the diner before giving one of her trademark shrugs. "I've been on the run from the law."

I stared at her for a few moments in silence. She was serious. I unlocked the car and slid into the seat. Raven gently shut her door and immediately glanced in the side mirror, spotting the four cops still happily drinking their coffee in the diner.

"How did you vanish like that?"

"Years of practice," she settled down in the seat comfortably. Occasionally her eyes would flicker to the mirror again. I could tell she wanted me to leave already, but she wouldn't say it.

I watched her, instantly amused by her actions. I felt a smile form on my lips as I started the car. "I take it you've got a long, long story to tell me, Raven."

"You've no idea."

I couldn't help myself. "Your place or mine?"


	4. Chapter 4

Even as I asked the question, I knew the answer. Raven wasn't going to let me see where she lived. That was too great a secret for her to risk telling anyone, mainly due to the fact that the woman regarded privacy above all else. Also, because she enjoyed being difficult.

So I didn't even blink when she said "Yours."

"Of course," I murmured as I changed lanes and headed for the highway. "What about your car?"

"It's not going anywhere."

I chuckled at that. It was probably warded with magic and spells intending to do horrible things to whomever was foolish enough to attempt to steal Raven's car. "So…" I glanced over at her. "Why don't you start on that really, really long story you need to tell me."

"Isn't it about your bedtime?" she mused.

I scoffed. "I'm off tomorrow. Besides, I usually go to bed around 6 am. It's only 5:13."

"Hm…" really more of a sound than an answer. She adjusted her jacket and looked out the window. It was a few minutes before she spoke again.

"After Trigon was dealt with and I recovered, things were very different." Her voice was hollow, beyond her normal monotone. "My team was hesitant around me, to the point of being painfully obvious. How could they trust a demon? How could anyone. The few times I went out with the Titans on missions, whatever local law enforcement we encountered was instantly on edge when they saw me. Their eyes would flicker nervously, they'd try to casually mask un-clasping the holster strap on their side arms… like their guns could save them," she muttered. "Jump City made it clear that my help was no longer desired."

I listened intently, not wanting to miss a single detail. Raven never divulged what she was thinking, and in this moment, I wanted to remember everything she was saying. "They were afraid of you," I said quietly.

She nodded, still looking out the window. "So are you."

I hated the fact that she could feel my emotions as easily as reading words off a page. "Yes, I'm afraid of you, but not for the same reason they were."

She turned to look at me, and out of the corner of my eye I caught a flash of some expression on her face before it was gone.

"I see," she said at length.

I pulled off the highway onto residential streets and watched the way the street lamps cast an eerie glow across the demon sitting in my passenger seat. Her powers were not only impressive, but incredibly terrifying. She'd proven time and time again that she was a force not to be taken lightly. If she didn't have capacity for compassion and a healthy dose of guilt, she could be just like her father. That alone was justification for fear. But that's not why I was afraid of Raven.

I was afraid of the way she smiled. The few I'd seen were simply breathtaking, genuine, alluring. The way her simple gestures sent goose bumps across my flesh was alarming. And I was afraid of seeing what else she was capable of doing to me. Afraid, and horribly eager.

"So you left the Titans?" I prompted, knowing that she hadn't lost her train of thought, but was also simultaneously trying to decipher mine.

"Yes. Richard and I got into a rather heated argument seven years ago. Unpleasant words were said, a few bones were broken, and I haven't seen him since."

"I'm assuming it wasn't your bones that were broken," I said dryly as I pulled up to my parking space at my apartment complex and killed the engine.

She chuckled softly and unbuckled her seatbelt. "No, they weren't mine."

We got out of the car and I slowly led the way to my apartment. As soon as we hit the bottom stairs this tsunami of nerves crashed into my gut. What was I doing bringing _Raven_ to my home? She just alluded to the fact that the last time she saw her friend, she'd broken some of his bones. The last time I saw her, I wasn't her friend. Where did that leave me, exactly? "Ah… I'm up on the third floor," I said, then berated myself for saying something so inane.

Raven just followed behind me in the creepy, silent way she has about her as I ascended the stairs and dug the keys out of my pocket. Instantly I was trying to remember if my apartment was in any sort of state for company. Were there dishes all over the place? Did I have anything to drink in the fridge? When was the last time I vacuumed? I didn't even have carpet, what was I thinking... Then I remembered that Raven was an empath and knew exactly how nervous I was. Which annoyed me. Which annoyed me further because she knew it annoyed me. _Gods, this is fucking stupid. Well, here we go…_

I pushed open the door and flicked on the lights. Relief filled me as my eyes swept the place and I discovered it was in almost pristine shape. I turned to shut the door behind Raven, anxiously aware of her eyes wandering. The walls were a light grey that the landlord didn't know about. The floor was ancient hardwood that creaked with every step. My couch was well-loved black leather that sat before a modest flat screen television and entertainment center.

"This is nice," she glanced at me before walking to the couch and settling down comfortably.

I couldn't help but notice that the floor didn't creak where she stepped. "Drink?" I gestured to the kitchen behind me.

"No, thank you."

I nodded and plopped down on the other end of the couch, regarding her quietly. She was still looking around the room, and I grew suspicious. She was stalling on telling the rest of her story. "You were saying…"

She slowly turned her head to look at me. "I originally moved from Jump to Vancouver."

"British Colombia?"

"No, Washington. I liked Portland, but Vancouver was a little smaller. Less noise." She brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "At first, things were running smoothly. I managed to get a job, found a place to call home, and just…lived."

"What kind of job?"

Her lips quirked into the semblance of a smile. "Bartending."

I stared at her. "Bartending," I repeated. If she didn't know it was me the other day, then why would she have said that she didn't get out much and didn't know what to order? Why lie to a complete stranger? It was very interesting… "Continue."

"After a year, I had quite settled into the routine of monotony. It was comforting, albeit boring at times, but it was nice for once to just blend in with society. No one knew me as Raven of the Teen Titans there. I was just another woman behind the bar, pouring your drink with that questionable smile."

I laughed at that. "I know exactly what you're talking about."

"I'm well aware. You were sporting it when we met the other day. I interrupted your closing duties and you were most displeased that I wasn't just looking for another bud light. "

I blinked. I had thought that, not said it. Yet she picked it up, even before she knew it was me. "…Yeah. So, how long did you bartend?"

"Two years in Vancouver," she sighed. "I liked Vancouver."

"Then why did you leave?"

"Because I killed someone there."

I paused, unblinking. A million thoughts were swirling around in my head at that moment as I stared into dark, violet eyes.

"It was late one night in November. I had finished up my shift and walked out the back door. As I passed by an alleyway beside the employee parking lot, I felt someone in pain. Horrible pain. I followed it to a man I'd served many times in the bar and a woman I'd never seen before."

I watched her eyes as she spoke, watched the emotions surge in those depths like some menacing shadow-creature. I couldn't look away.

"He had beaten her to a bloody mess and was in the process of raping her. Her muffled cries for help paused when her eyes locked with mine. He in turn paused, glanced over his shoulder, and paled. He quickly straightened himself up and approached me with such blazing confidence I was nearly amazed by it. He reached for me and I laughed."

I shifted on the couch, tucking one leg beneath me as I listened. I knew how this part of the story would end, and I was morbidly curious.

"I had my hand around his throat in a heartbeat," she turned her hand over, staring at her palm; reliving the memory. "He was so scared. _Please_, he said. _Don't do this_." She slowly closed her hand. "I was not merciful. His blood stained the dirty concrete that night, I made sure of it." She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. "And in that moment, I realized that my entire life I'd lived by the law, had acted as the law, protected the law, and… had never felt such a sense of _justice _before."

I nodded gradually, understanding. "You enjoyed it."

Her head turned to face me very slowly. The look on her face said it all. She turned back to stare at the idle television. "I loved it."

We were both quiet for a moment. I pictured in my mind the scene she'd described. It gave me chills. And yet, a sense of righteousness that was wholly satisfying. I wasn't disturbed by it. Maybe because of my own sordid past. Maybe because I've contemplated it before. I wondered what his name was, he who foolishly reached for Raven.

"Aaron McAlister," she abruptly stood and walked to my unlit kitchen. I watched her move across the floor with such poised grace I almost completely forgot that she just told me she brutally murdered someone. _Priorities: attractive demon in apartment_. She switched on the lights and helped herself to a glass of water.

"I have a kettle and tea," I offered. Did she still drink tea like her life depended on it?

Her expression brightened slightly and I pointed to the cabinet beside the fridge. "Tea's in there, kettle's in the oven." She moved easily in the small space, reaching, using her hands in this flowing dance of efficiency. I would have gotten up and helped, but I knew she needed to get up and do something. Something to take her mind off the place she went when she killed that man. I had a feeling she was a little unsettled by how much she enjoyed that place.

"Obviously I wasn't going to turn myself in to the authorities for saving the woman and killing her attacker. So I just disappeared." She set the kettle on the stove and leaned against the counter. "It was refreshing, actually. I moved to Las Vegas."

My eyebrows shot up. "You're shitting me. You, in Vegas?"

"Why is that so unbelievable?" She found a mug in the cabinet and pulled a clean spoon out of the dishwasher. I couldn't help but smile at the way she was making herself at home.

"Emotions-are-pointless-don't-touch-me-Raven in Sin City, the City that never sleeps. What part of that statement is believable?"

She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "Emotions are not pointless. I said that anger was pointless; but I was wrong." The kettle began its high-pitched cry and she removed it from the fire. Steam billowed out of the mug as she filled it and the aroma of black tea filled the air. "And Vegas is a very depressing city, despite all its claims of grandeur."

"What did you do there?" I yanked my jacket off and tossed it over the back of the couch. The quiet clank of steel against porcelain answered me, and I turned to look at her.

Her expression was closed, deep in thought.

"…More justice?" I ventured.

"More justice," she repeated as she slowly took a sip of her tea.

I was interested, I admit. After knowing Raven for as long as I have, I know that whatever she does, she does passionately. However she achieved justice, it was certainly going to be worthy of remembrance. "I want to hear about it."

She sighed, picked up her tea, and returned to her previous spot on the couch. She set her mug down on the coffee table before turning to face me with a penetrating stare. It caught me off guard at first, and I fought not to look away. She was incredibly intimidating.

"There have been a few times since Aaron McAlister where I've… rid the world of someone useless."

"How many others?" I asked, hoping my hesitancy was well hidden. She was a demon, after all. Killing is what they do. I just wanted to gauge weather or not the CIA was a few minutes away from storming my meager apartment looking for Raven.

"Three," she smiled softly, as if it somehow altered the meaning of the word. "Two men and one woman. All in Vegas. The first man was a horrible squat troll that enjoyed blackjack and Crown Royal. He was extremely rude. He beat up three Casino workers when they refused to serve him anymore alcohol. He also had the misfortune of crossing paths with me after I witnessed his uncalled for brutality." She reached for her tea, cradling it in her hands as she took a sip. "I ripped out his tongue and listened to him scream. Then I slipped into his mind. Coincidentally, he ran out across Las Vegas Boulevard and was hit by a bus."

Wow. What do you say to that?

She continued. "The second man would hide behind the bushes of the many strip malls down the Boulevard and mug people." She smiled again, fondly. "I enjoyed killing him. I loved how surprised he was when he tried to mug me." Her gaze went unfocused for a moment. "I was in a foul mood that night, though. I made a mess and someone saw."

Honestly, if you came across Raven down some dark side street, would you try to mug her? No. The correct answer is no, you'd run in the opposite direction and never look back. And I, of all people, understood the frustration of a plan gone wrong. How many times had this very woman thwarted my plans in the past? "A witness…" I murmured.

"Yes, but I didn't kill him. Foolish, perhaps. But I'm not about killing the innocent. It was only a matter of minutes before Las Vegas Metro Police swarmed the road. I was long gone, by then."

"Of course you were. You're exceedingly intelligent. I'm sure you managed to frame it on someone else," I gestured lightly.

She smiled slowly then.

My mouth went dry, my heart skipped a beat, and heat spread between my legs in an uncomfortable wash of longing. And she knew. I could tell by the way her nostrils flared with a deep, silent exhale. The way her body tensed into the back of the couch. The way she looked at me.

"I didn't have to frame anyone. Vegas is full of crime. My contribution went almost unnoticed."

I licked my lips, watching her now. It didn't matter what we were talking about, there was nothing in this world that could distract me from how close Raven was to me. I could reach out and touch her, if I dared. I didn't. Not yet, at least. "And the woman?"

"She was a cop."

_Holy fucking shit, is she insane?_ I blinked, slowly. It was my newest default reaction to anything that Raven said. "Raven…"

"A dirty cop that ran drugs between a few casinos." Raven finished her tea, set it down on the coffee table, and shifted closer to me.

My couch suddenly seemed much smaller.

"I just had this need to remove her from the face of the earth. Is it my place to decide that?" she gestured. "Who's to say. After all, I'm just the bastard spawn of a demon. My morals should leave much to be desired. Killing her certainly made me feel better. I see why people do it. How incredibly easy it is. It's satisfying. Primal. Exhilarating."

I nodded, transfixed on the passionate way she described it. How frustrating had it been for her to spend her entire adolescent years devoid of feeling? Denied physical contact, joy, anger, love. No wonder she loved killing. It probably made her feel more alive than she'd ever felt before. Not to mention addicting. "How long ago was that?"

"Four years."

"And I'm guessing you…vanished from Las Vegas."

"You're quite clever," she said dryly, with the faintest hint of sincerity.

"Where to this time?"

"Here."

I paused. "You've been in Eureka for four years?"

She nodded.

I was almost afraid to ask. "And…what have you been doing here?"

"Relaxing."

What the hell did that mean? I raised my brow. "How do you relax?"

"Like any normal person, Jinx. I took up fishing."

I laughed. "For what, exactly?"

"Ah… good question…" She settled her gaze on me.

It made me instantly nervous.


	5. Chapter 5

Have you ever had one of those feelings where you just _know_ you're involved in something larger than you can comprehend, but you can't quite figure out what it is? That someone knows far more than you do, and they are quite enjoying leading you blindly into the vast unknowns of your world? That's how I felt that very moment, with Raven staring at me from twenty-four inches away. It made me uncomfortable for reasons that simply baffled me.

_That's the way a tiger looks at its prey_, a very primal thing at the back of my mind explained. But that was of little concern to me. _That's a very hungry demon that wants you to dance for her_, another part of my mind contested, as if switching tactics might help me live a tad longer. That was true, but what was she hungry for? _You_. Me? _Yes, you._

"What are you thinking, Jinx?" her voice was a low purr that made me forget everything.

I blinked at her, and she must have seen the thoughts leave my head, because she laughed.

She had a wonderful laugh, it should be said. Like it came from the very bottom of her soul, saturated in the emotions she kept locked somewhere deep. The melody of Raven's laughter curved the corners of my lips into a smile, and I couldn't even tell you why.

When she sobered, her eyes held less of that predatory intensity I'd witnessed just a few moments before, replaced by what I could only name as assurance. "It's late. I must go."

She was leaving? I didn't want her to leave…did I? I blinked away to the soft glow of dawn peeking through my blinds. "Do you need me to take you to your car?"

"No, silly," her voice was a warm breath by my ear.

It startled me into a quick head jerk that brought me face to face with Raven. She was looming over me, impossibly, lips a mere thought from mine. I hadn't seen her move. I inhaled sharply at the closeness, instantly feeling that rush of potential from my lips to my toes and everywhere in between. Her scent caressed me, and I was reminded of something exotic that matched the tone in her voice and the look in her eyes.

"Will I see you again?" she murmured in a way that implied she would.

All I could think was that she needed to be closer. "I'm free tomorrow," I answered, remarkably, even though she knew that already. I tilted my chin up, closing what little distance there was between us. But she was still out of reach. I furrowed my brow, not understanding. Then I realized she had place the tip of her index finger in the center of my chest, keeping me back with so little effort it was almost embarrassing.

"I will find you," she said simply, before her lips brushed mine in the barest of kiss. She was so warm. It was my undoing.

When she pulled away I still lay there, blinking back at her, refusing to let her out of my sight yet completely unable to do anything. Her eyes were alight with what I guessed pleasure, and without another word, she disappeared in a dark flash of mist. I was left alone in my apartment, beside myself and horribly aroused.

I sat up abruptly and ran a hand through my short, messy hair. "Jesus fucking Christ!" I was in deep doo-doo. With a groan, I got to my feet and took up pacing. Raven was playing a very subtle game. She set out the bait, and predictably, I took it. How could I not? I mean… I say goddamn. Goddamn. But what was her plan once she reeled me in nice and slow? Would she kill me?

No. At least, not intentionally. She was far too interested in me to even think of ridding the world of my presence. So what did that leave, then? Lust? Was she lusting after me? Well, obviously. As much as the woman was able. She knew what I was, knew all my tricks and moves. She also knows I haven't done anything remarkable in the past eight years. Meaning, I'm out of practice. Meaning, if I ever had a chance of besting her in the past, it certainly was never going to happen now.

"Shit," I hissed. Now she knew where I lived. She knew where I worked, the kind of car I drive. Who knows what other infinitesimal things she picked up about me in the few hours we've spent together. She is a very powerful, attractive, intelligent demon that enjoys killing people; and she'd settled her gaze on me. _Me. I'm so screwed_.

I shuffled into my bedroom in a daze. As I peeled off my clothes and crawled under the covers, my mind raced. There had to be a way to shift things in my favor. A way to play my own game, surprise Raven, show her that I'm not so easily conquered. I knew absolutely nothing about where she lived, worked, lurked in this city. I just knew that true to her word, Raven would find me later tonight. And with that thought, I smiled. _Let's see how good she really is_.

I woke at three in the afternoon. After a bagel and a hot shower, I wandered to my closet, deep in contemplation. I flipped through my wardrobe, pondering, selecting a few items with a hushed smile. My plan was quite simple, really. I wasn't going to make it easy for her. I was going to make it as difficult as possible, actually. I pulled my old leather boots down from the shelf with a chuckle, wondering if Raven would recognize them after all these years. _Of course she will_.

I had long outgrown the novelty of my HIVE attire. Instead, I went for subtlety. Long, tight black pants, a black and grey button up blouse that clung to my thin frame in a very pleasing way, and my favorite boots; cleaned, oiled, and ready. I admired my plan in the mirror, quite pleased with myself. I could count on Raven's self-control. It was my one and only safe guard, and I aimed to use it well. I flashed a smile of sharp pearly whites.

As night fell, I left my apartment. My Mini Cooper roared to life and I got on the road, heading west with the smuggest smile on my face. I passed by shops, restaurants, bars, residences, office buildings, and ship yards, continuing on to the marina at the far north-west side of town. There was a bar there that I planned on hiding in. A Lesbian bar.

I parked in the side lot and strolled to the front entrance, feeling quite confident in my decision. I flashed my ID at the door, got a wristband, and walked into a wall of music and warmth. I'd been to this bar once before. As I walked past the mass of women, eyes watched me. Dozens of them, running over my clothing, imagining how soft the skin was underneath; questioning if I was really single, then deciding it didn't matter once they saw my unusual eyes.

I couldn't wait until they saw Raven.

I made myself comfortable at a table near the bar; it was in the farthest corner from the door, leaving me a clear view of the entire establishment. Not that it would help me in spotting Raven before it's too late. At least I knew she wouldn't sneak up behind me. Then I remembered she could go through walls and swore profusely.

The music shifted to something slower paced, with a deep, methodical thump of bass. I watched a couple dancing near my table. They were both young; freshly twenty-one perhaps. Their clothes were tight fitting and left little to the imagination as they curved and writhed around one another unabashedly in the darkness of the bar. I watched, unashamed, as their hands caressed one another with a mounting urgency.

"Now I just _know_ you're not here alone," a light female voice called out beside me.

I turned to face a pair of bright blue eyes I'd never seen before. A woman my age or younger helped herself to a seat at my table. She moved a strand of dark brown hair from her eyes with casual head jerk. "And how would you know that," I smirked, mildly amused.

She regarded me for a moment, sipping from her martini glass. "You're way too attractive to not have women following you wherever you go."

I chuckled. She didn't know the half of it… "I'm meeting someone here," I said.

"Of course you are," she gestured across the bar at all the women. "So, where is she?"

"She's not here yet, obviously."

She raised her brow at me, looking down at the table. "…You're not drinking."

I shook my head slowly, smiling. "That's correct."

"Why not?" I'd obviously piqued her interest, and she leaned on the table with her elbows, staring at me.

"Because the woman I'm meeting is scary enough when I'm sober."

"Amen to that," she grinned. "Women are fucking insane, aren't they? We wonder why we do this to ourselves, over and over again. But then they move their hips just so as they walk and we completely forget how incredibly evil they are."

I laughed. "I take it you have a track record with crazy women?"

"You've no idea," she downed her martini and rubbed at her brow. "It's a curse, really. I'm Alex, by the way."

"My name's Jen," I said automatically. I reached into my pocket, retrieving my phone. Midnight. I wondered where Raven was at this exact moment. How I'd love to see the look on her face when she couldn't find me…

Alex watched me, curious. "So what time is this woman supposed to meet you?"

"I have no idea," I brushed a stray hair from my eyes. "I didn't exactly tell her where I was going to be tonight."

Confusion flashed across her face, and she blinked. "Wait, wait. She doesn't know where you are. And you're waiting for her, here."

I nodded.

"Damn, you're evil too!" She laughed. "What makes you think she's going to be able to find you?"

"Oh, I know she will. I'm interested in how long it takes, and how pissed she is when she walks through that door."

Alex shook her head. "Are you trying to make her jealous?"

_Hmm_. Was I? "No, not jealous. More like…" I gestured, looking for the right word. "I want to make her work for it."

"Ah…" she understood. "It's one of those kinds of relationships. I get it." She glanced over her shoulder. "So I shouldn't be here when she arrives. She might beat me to a bloody pulp."

_Or kill you_. "It's probably for the best if you make yourself scarce. Because I certainly can't stop her if she decides to turn her anger over to you."

"That's all the warning I need," she stood, taking her empty glass in her hand. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Jen," she flashed a brilliant smile.

"The same to you, Alex," I grinned. "That brunette over there by the speaker has been staring at you this entire time, by the way."

Her eyes went wide and she stole a glance in the direction of the DJ. "Shit! Okay, you don't know an Alex," she pointed at me before disappearing into the crowd. It amused me to know that I wasn't the only one with a crazy woman after them.

But then really, they didn't have Raven after them.

I got myself a soda from the bar and sipped it while I scanned the floor. Most of the women here simply mulled around tables, in small groups, talking, drinking, seducing their prey with warm smiles and subtle gestures. The dancing couple I was watching earlier had retreated to a table across the bar, talking in low voices, touching every so often. I glanced at my phone, lips curving into a smile as I read the time to be 3:07 a.m.

_Where are you, Raven…_ I mused to myself.

"I'm right here, Jinx," she said from right beside me.

I nearly fell out of my chair. The dimness of the bar apparently worked against me, and she'd somehow snuck up on me. Not that I wasn't expecting it or anything, but it's still a little unsettling to turn around and find a demon sitting beside you, staring with eyes dark as sin.

"Ah…hi," I said tactlessly, trying to recover some poise.

Raven's eyes dropped from my own to slowly regard my attire before they settled staring at the bright fuchsia eyes that undoubtedly looked increasingly more nervous. She looked slightly irritated but was trying to not let it show. "Hi," she echoed.

"You found me," I smiled sheepishly. "I knew you would. However, I expected it to be much sooner."

She didn't like that. Her eyes narrowed and she leaned in close to me, voice a low murmur dripping with threat. "You'll pay for it later."

I laughed, inappropriately perhaps, but I had to do something to release the tension. Raven raised a brow, obviously not used to being laughed at. I quickly sobered and took a sip of my drink. "Oh, I'm sure I will. But if you do recall, Raven, I said I wasn't going to make it easy for you." I smiled slowly, a Cheshire cat grin. "My dances don't come cheap."

The demon chuckled, reached out and traced a fingertip along my jaw line. Her touch was cool, yet burned in an alarmingly pleasant way. My breath caught in my throat.

"It will be worth everything it takes," she smiled faintly, Sphinx-like.

_Why is that so fucking arousing?_ I tried to look unaffected and failed miserably as I squirmed in my chair, trying to ignore the wetness between my legs. It was awfully warm in this bar. I cleared my throat. "Would you like to go somewhere else?"

"Would you like to go somewhere else?" She smirked. She knew I was uncomfortably aroused, I'm sure.

I so badly wanted to wipe that smile right off her face. "Yes, I would," I stood, being sure to lean over extra far while I retrieved my jacket. When I turned, Raven was still sitting, and she blinked up at me as if I hadn't said anything. I smiled, amused.

"I know a place we could go to," she said slowly, thinking. "It's quiet, comfortable, serves coffee."

"That sounds perfect," I gestured toward the door and she stood. I waited until she moved first. I wanted to follow behind her and watch who turned to stare at Raven. She started for the door at an even pace, weaving effortlessly through the crowed. Just as I'd expected, they turned and stared. Eyes of every shade, all focused on the female demon parting the bodies like the Red Sea.

It only served to arouse me further. I cursed myself just as enthusiastically as I commended. How masochistic of me. Then again, knowing Raven, it was probably a very, very good thing. I spotted Alex by the door. She flat out stared at Raven before looking at me with a shocked smile and two thumbs up. I chuckled. _I haven't survived her yet, Alex, don't jinx me…_

The door slammed shut behind us and I blinked across the parking lot.

"Did you drive here?" Raven inquired in that tone suggesting she had planned on riding with me.

I smiled to myself at my forethought of parking in the side lot, unseen from here. "No, I took a cab. You drove though, right?"

"Yes," she murmured, and I followed her to her car.

As I approached the black Nissan 370Z, I stared at her license plate, committing it to memory. _9B1313Z._ Then I just stared at the gorgeous machine. How on earth did she afford a thirty-five thousand dollar car? What did she do, exactly? "Impressive," I finally managed.

The alarm beeped off and she actually smiled smugly at me as we got into the car. "Saving the world does have its occasional benefits… especially when you know an accountant."

"I don't even want to know how you managed that," I chuckled as I ran my fingertips across the sleek, smooth dashboard.

"It's probably for the best," she started the engine, dropped it into first gear and popped the clutch in a motion so quick, I barely had time to register that we were moving forward. Rapidly.

The car practically purred as Raven shifted, giving the beast what it wanted. I noticed I was clutching the handle on the door, white knuckled, and forced myself to relax. Raven drove like a maniac. "How far away is this place?" I asked as we merged onto the highway far above the posted speed limit.

Raven only laughed.


	6. Chapter 6

I tried to keep track of all the hairpin turns, abrupt stops, and terrifyingly close tailgating Raven made me endure, but eventually I lost all sense of direction. That was her intent, I'm sure. I'd lived around Eureka for almost eight years and I'd never seen some of the sights we passed. Who knew if we were even in California. I had no sense of time despite the clock on the dashboard that read 4:03 am.

It was odd to think of Raven, the Titan, driving a car. All the years I'd known her she flew, blue cape billowing around her. Or worse, she teleported through that skin-crawling in-between that sucked the warmth from you bones and filled your ears with screams. I chanced a glance at her lounging in the driver's seat of her sleek little sports car, and odd was the furthest adjective from my thoughts.

The woman was absolutely gorgeous. _There, I said it. Are you happy now?_ Her dark hair fell long and straight past her shoulders, and I had an urge to run my fingers through it. I imagined how soft it would be, like silk; what would it smell like? Her posture was relaxed, comfortable, and a lie. I could feel her watching me out of the corner of her eye; I sensed her eagerness, anticipation so thick I could taste it on the back of my tongue.

My eyes dropped to the hollow of her throat, at the pale skin exposed above the black blouse she wore beneath a short leather jacket. Black suited her. Especially her pants. I blinked away from her when I sensed her lips twitch into a smile. _Goddamn it, Jinx, she can hear you_.

"Stop that," I huffed.

"Stop what?" she asked lightly.

"Stop reading my thoughts."

Her head lowered slightly and she flicked on the blinker, turning the car down a dimly lit street lined with cobblestone buildings. She steered the car into an empty space along the curb and killed the engine. Suddenly I was nervous again. The stillness was unbearable.

"I bet you're not feeling so smug right at this moment," Raven drawled, trying to sound casual and unimposing. She sucked at it.

"We both know you don't have to bet," I snapped, and let myself out of the car. I took a deep breath of the cool, crisp air, thankful to be out of the enclosed space.

Raven gently shut her door, watching me over the roof of her car. "A lesbian bar," she breathed, shaking her head faintly.

I paused. It had gotten under her skin. I grinned to myself, quite pleased. "What about a lesbian bar?"

She ignored my question and gestured to one of the buildings across the street. "This way."

I followed behind her, watching the way her hips moved as she glided. Raven didn't just walk, you see. It was far more complex and arousing than the simple need for transportation. Yes, black suited that woman indeed. She stopped short at a door and I nearly ran into her.

"Don't think I've forgotten," she murmured as she held the door open for me.

It was utterly impossible for me to forget that Raven was quite annoyed with me. However, I felt the best reaction was to pretend I wasn't afraid. Mostly because it would annoy her further, which I liked. It would also make it all the more appealing for her to prove just how afraid I was; which I did not like. You win some, you lose some…

"Forgotten what?" I said lightly and walked through the door.

Inside it was dark, warm, and smelled like coffee. The walls were a dark stone that matched the floor. Thick throw rugs were scattered about the room, surrounded by low couches, plush chairs, and voluptuous, overstuffed pillows. Black and red was their theme, it seemed. Even at this hour, men and women lounged about, a dozen or more; conversing in hushed tones, cradling glasses of wine or steaming mugs of coffee. The far wall held two doorways cloaked in heavy drapes the color of the night sky. I blinked, scanning over the vastly comfortable setting with increasing alarm as a woman walked past us wearing no more than a thin leather thong and a matching top that only held her breasts in place by some divine will.

Raven moved up beside me, stoic as the grave.

I stared at her, one brow slowly raised.

"Like I said," she gestured dryly, "Quiet, comfortable, and serves coffee."

An arousing anxiety twisted my stomach as I searched for a barista, a bar even. My eyes tracked the motion as the drapes from one of the doorways moved aside and a man and woman walked out. They were carrying trays with drinks on them, and like the other woman I'd seen, clad in leather strips that left little to the imagination.

I swallowed audibly. "This isn't what I think it is…"

Raven tilted her head to the side, a wide smile spread across her lips. "Oh, I think it is…" She held out her hand and I stared at it.

Every nerve in my body was screaming at me to run. Red flags were flapping in desperation. My stomach dropped so low it seemed to vanish altogether. But I placed my hand in the demon's and let her lead me across the room. _She will be the death of me_, I repeated my mantra. _It will be a good death_.

"Raven, you return," a voice called out, and we paused.

I turned to look at the woman the voice belonged to. Her hair was long, blond, and curled down past her shoulders in a gentle wave. She wore a long, flowing black and red dress that only added to my sense of alarm when I realized it wasn't a dress. It was a robe. What was it covering? Blue eyes sparkled as brightly as the smile that spread across her lips when she looked me over.

"And you brought someone," she stepped closer, studying my eyes with an intensity that left a sinking feeling in my gut. "Most impressive," she looked to Raven, some unvoiced question in her expression.

Raven shook her head faintly before a smile curved her lips.

The woman frowned, then hastily brightened it with a smile I quickly categorized as practiced. "A friend," she nodded at me. "My name is Veronica."

"Jen," I gave a faint smile that I hoped didn't come across as nervous as I felt.

"Are you two planning on a quiet evening together?" she gestured to the room.

"A little more quiet," Raven answered, and my eyes moved to the draped doorways standing ominously on the adjacent wall.

Veronica was pleased. "Excellent. You're just in time," she led the way to the drapes at a determined pace. Raven sent me a look I can only describe as premeditation before she gently pulled me after this blond woman.

A heat spread across my skin and I swallowed the lump in my throat as the doorways grew nearer. "Raven," I stuttered, and she sent me a glance.

"Relax, Jinx. I won't let anything happen to you," she smirked slowly, and I had a feeling she was lying.

Veronica pulled the drapes aside, smiling wide and she gestured us through. It was even darker in this hallway, and I stumbled at the transition from stone floor to carpet. Raven continued to lead, barely shifting as she kept me from falling on my face. I could feel her amusement, and it drove me absolutely mad as much as it excited me. Doors lined the walls, ten feet between them, and we continued to follow Veronica until she paused at a door.

"There are a few others here to watch," she said to Raven, who nodded. "What would you two like to drink?"

I just stared at her for a moment. Drink? What did I want to drink? I was standing in the middle of a BDSM establishment and this woman thought I needed a drink? No fucking way. "Coffee," I managed. "Black, three sugars," I added. Awake. I needed to be awake and alert.

"Of course," she nodded, faintly disappointed before she turned to Raven. "The usual?"

"Please," Raven replied, and I swear to the gods she purred.

Veronica opened the door. "Sit where ever you like."

Raven started through the door and my feet wouldn't move. She glanced back at me, brow raised, hand still gently, but firmly, wrapped around my wrist. When had she moved it out of my hand and around my wrist? Jesus fucking Christ, I wasn't paying attention. "Are you alright, Jinx?" She mused.

I had this feeling, you see. It's hard to describe. Conflicted, perhaps. Definitely. As much as I didn't want to see what was on the other side of that door, I was beyond interested. Despite the sinking feeling that I was somewhere I'd probably enjoy but be incredibly uncomfortable witnessing with Raven beside me, I had this insane drive to do my damndest to prevent it from happening. As much as I wished to see Raven annoyed, irritated, frustrated at my doing, I had this ingrained desire to see that she wasn't displeased. _Fuck_, I thought. _I am so fucked_.

"Yes," Raven replied, then flashed an innocent look. "You're alright. Come with me," she smiled softly.

What had I gotten myself into? I took a step forward, and Raven's smile grew as she led me through a narrow hall that spilled out into a large, open room. Three half-moon couches circled along the walls, and my eyes locked on the large four-poster bed occupying the center of the room. Then my eyes traveled to the wall behind it, and the objects that hung on hooks and racks. Soft music played, methodical thumping of drums and strings that sounded beautifully dangerous. The room smelled like leather and earth, and I blinked a few times, suddenly nervous again.

"Don't be shy," Raven murmured beside me, and she led us to the vacant couch on the far side of the room. I slowly sat down, sinking into the plush material, wondering how many had done so before and if they had any idea what they were about to witness when they did. Raven settled beside me comfortably, not touching, but the closeness and possessiveness was not lost on me.

I blinked across the room to the couple curled up on the couch opposite ours. A man and woman spoke softly to one another, seemingly oblivious. I looked to the other couch, and two women were staring at me with intent expressions. I was out of my element, and I know it showed in my expression, my body language, my shifting eyes. Where the fuck was Veronica with my drink.

"So…" I murmured, catching Raven's attention. She blinked at me far too eagerly. "What's this about?" I gestured to the large bed and the implements hanging on the wall unnecessarily. I knew. I just needed to hear someone say it.

She ignored my question. "First," Raven shifted to a more comfortable position, angling to face both me and the center of the room. "I went to your apartment. You weren't there, and neither was your car. Then, I went to your work. You weren't there; Ben informed me that it was your day off, and to try your apartment."

I sunk a little lower in the chair, knowing where this was all heading.

"I wasn't surprised, really," she drummed her fingertips lightly on the arm of the couch. "So obviously I needed more information than what the amiable Ben had given me." She wasn't looking at me, but the bed. I didn't like it. "I engaged him in idle conversation and sifted through his memories. I saw places you'd been together. I left the bar and went to them. When you weren't at any of those locations, I went back to your bar."

Veronica sauntered through the doorway with a small tray in her hands, and she made her way over to us with a creeping smile. "Your coffee, Jen," she extended a saucer and cup towards me. I took it tentatively, peering into the dark liquid before setting it on my arm of the couch. She extended a tiny black porcelain cup on a matching saucer to Raven, who took it with a gracious smile.

"Thank you," she set her drink down on the couch like I had.

"Of course," Veronica's gaze traveled to mine and her expression shifted to something I couldn't explain as anything other than dominance. "I hope you enjoy your evening," she smiled cryptically and excused herself.

I blinked before taking a long sip of my coffee.

"Ebin proved to be useful," Raven said, and I remembered what she'd been talking about.

"Oh?" I shifted hesitantly in her dark gaze.

"You see, while his memories of you were primarily work related, there was one in particular that was of great interest. Your 24th birthday. Your friends at work decided you needed to go out and enjoy yourself. They took you to a bar you'd never been to before. A lesbian bar." She looked to me devilishly. "You did so enjoy yourself that night… Ebin approved."

Shit, damn, motherfucking goddamnit. That was _cheating_. Abilities like her's should be illegal. "Ah, yes," I took another sip of my coffee, feeling very warm. I glanced over at her untouched cup, wondering what the hell it was and why it was so tiny.

The lights dimmed so faintly I almost didn't notice until the music changed subtly. Less drums, more strings. Raven delicately picked up her black cup between her index finger and thumb, and brought it to her lips. She inhaled the soft steam rising from the liquid before downing the entire drink in one quick swallow.

I was about to ask what that was when the sound of a door sliding open caught my attention, and I looked to the far corner where a secret doorway had appeared. A woman emerged and I sunk even deeper into the couch.

Her eyes were a green even envy would be jealous of. Brown hair was pulled back from her face with a few long strands brushing her cheek. She wore a tight black dress with long, flowing sleeves. The material clung to her body in ways I never thought possible, and I couldn't help it when my eyes traveled downwards, lingering on where the material ended just beneath her knees at a sharp angle; a trail of material flowed behind her left calf as she walked barefoot across the smooth stone floor towards the bed.

Her eyes ran over the faces seated on the couches one by one until they landed on Raven. A smile curved the corner of her lip faintly, secretly; but I saw. Then she looked at mine. I watched her expression grow curious for a brief moment as she studied my face before she circled the bed at a slow, practiced pace. She trailed her fingertips along the black satin sheets, up the ebony wooden posts, along the thick, featureless headboard. I couldn't look away.

Raven leaned in close, murmuring in my ear. "I know you drove to the bar."

_What bar?_ I blinked over at her, startled by her closeness. Oh. _Oh… the bar…_ I was entirely too distracted, and this was exactly what Raven wanted. "So I lied," I murmured back, mimicking her tone, before I looked back to the women circling the bed. "You lie all the time."

A soft chuckle poured from her lips. "When it suits me."

_Which is often…_ "Do you know this woman?" I said without looking away from her.

"Her name is Sara," she said in reply.

The green-eyed Sara continued behind the headboard, both hands caressing the wood until a sound brought her to pause. She looked behind her as another secret door slid aside and a woman emerged. I blinked, slowly, as Veronica walked up behind Sara, who remained frozen. The blond slid her hands along the woman's abdomen, grazing long fingers up her sides, brushing the bottom of her breasts. Sara inhaled sharply before jerking away, black dress flowing as she circled around to the opposite side of the bed.

Veronica's eyes tracked the movement, lips quirking into a smile that said, _oh, you shouldn't have done that. Oh, how you will pay_. I'd seen that smile before.

Sara swayed from foot to foot, eyes never leaving Veronica's as the woman brushed her own fingertips along the wood of the massive bed, slowly inching closer all the while Sara inched away.

"Where are you to run?" Veronica's voice was low, amused, and full of intensity as she watched Sara keep her distance.

"Away from you, my lady," Sara replied, seemingly yielding, secretly not.

Veronica chuckled. _You can try_, that laughter said. _I'm glad you are_, it beamed.

I licked my lips and looked at the other couches. All eyes were on the two women circling one another in the center of the room. Except Raven; her eyes were watching me. I narrowed my eyes at her slowly, and she produced a most wicked smile that confirmed just how fucked I really was. I turned back to the bed.

There was a certain dynamic between these two women that was fascinating. While I know this is an act of sorts, a display that both participants eagerly enjoy, I also sensed a bit of defiance from this Sara that eyed Veronica with a challenge drifting in the air between them. The blond seemed amused. However, by the way she prowled around the corner of the bed towards the wall filled with leather, I knew she was most dedicated to crushing that defiance.

Sara froze when Veronica trailed her fingertips along a strip of leather hanging on the wall. The blonde slowly pulled the binding off the wooden rack it rested on, sliding her fingers along the strip, stretching it out in a long, menacing motion.

"Come here, Sara," she said softly, turning to face the woman; it wasn't a request.

Sara hesitated where she stood on the side of the bed, eyes watching her. Her body was tense with coiled anticipation, fear, longing, rebelliousness.

I was captivated, beyond curious. Raven remained as she was, pose relaxed, expression closed, attention fixated on me. I could feel her gaze burning against my flesh.

"Don't make me repeat myself, Sara," Veronica chided, and she folded the binding on its self, pulling it taught. A loud snap reverberated in the stone room.

Sara visibly winced.

So did I.

Slowly, Sara took a step closer to her. Veronica smiled faintly, still running the strip of leather through her fingers, patient, yet uncompromising.

Green eyes flickered to the wall behind the imposing blond woman, then back to the binding in her hands before she took another wary step forward. Sara's body almost quivered as she neared Veronica, and I was utterly enthralled and equally aroused.

"Very good," Veronica cooed, and she let one end of the binding fall to the floor, illustrating how long it was. She reached out, brushing a fingertip along Sara's jaw. "Turn around."

Sara tensed at the command, and conflict flashed across her eyes. Veronica watched it, raising her chin slightly in challenge. _No?_ She silently said_. Is that really the wisest decision…_

Apparently the brunette thought better, and slowly turned around. Veronica looked pleased, and she trailed her hand down Sara's arm until she reached her wrist; she wretched it behind the woman's back in a quick jerk.

Sara hissed sharply as her arm was bent behind her at an agonizing angle, and she dropped to her knees in an effort to avoid the pain. Veronica twined her fingers in her hair, half caress, half threat as she bent low to murmur in Sara's ear.

"No, no, precious. I didn't tell you to kneel," she yanked the woman back to her feet, arm still locked behind her back. Veronica pulled her other hand backwards, tilting Sara's head; she brushed her lips across the woman's exposed neck with a low sound. "You're in a mood today," she purred along her shoulder as she pushed the woman forward, forcing her to walk towards the bed. "I am most eager to change that," her dark blue eyes flickered to mine as she spoke.

I fidgeted in my seat, having to look away. Raven reached out, placing a gentle hand on my knee, reassuring_. I won't let anything happen to you_, she'd said. _Yeah_, I scoffed. _Physically_. In that moment, as uncomfortable as Veronica made me from across the room, it paled in comparison to how completely unhinged I was with Raven sitting silently beside me; knowing that she sensed my every shifting thought, my emotions churning like a storm-swept sea. I could almost feel her in the back of my mind, prodding, suggesting; whispering dark thoughts in my ear. _Someone save me_, I pleaded. _No one can_, Raven echoed. It was maddening.

Sara was pressed up against the back of the headboard. Veronica released her hair and began trailing the end of the leather binding down the center of her back, pleased when Sara arched her spine at the contact. With a practiced motion, Veronica wrapped the leather strip around the wrist still locked behind Sara's back, knotting it snugly. Blue eyes smiled as she spun the woman around to face her while she bound her wrists together. Sara watched warily, eagerly, as her wrists were raised above her head and the leather binding was looped around a hook imbedded in one of the posts that escaped my earlier detection.

I stared at the woman stretched up along the dark wood of the bed and felt myself die a little. A soft sound spilled, and I paused in astonishment when I realized it didn't fall from my lips; it came from Raven.

Now that her captive was entirely at her mercy, Veronica took a moment to admire the view as she traced down the curves of Sara's body with a touch misleadingly gentle. I watched, enraptured, as the brunette trembled faintly beneath her captor's hand.

"Don't think I've forgotten," the blond whispered softly in her ear.

Sara's eyes widened a fraction, and she jerked at her wrists. Veronica laughed, grazing her nails none-too-gently down the woman's side. Sara shuddered, and it wasn't from pain.

I inhaled slowly, conscious of the demon eagerly poised beside me. _I know the feeling, Sara_.

Veronica turned away, walking slow and methodically towards the wall again. Sara peered over her shoulder, watching, squirming; trying to free herself despite the sound reality that there was no escape. The blond walked along the wall, pausing thoughtfully, caressing objects, taking her time. The music thumped in the background, ominously reminiscent of a heartbeat.

I knew it was no coincidence; none of it was. Raven had this planned out. Gods only knew for how long. I was beginning to suspect that she'd known I lived here for a while and was merely waiting for the right opportunity to strike. Her timing, it must be said, was impeccable.

Veronica pulled a strip of silk off the wall, along with something else I couldn't quite see before she turned back, circling around the bed. Sara watched her nervously, eyeing the objects in her hands as the blond slipped beside her. The strip of silk stretched between her hands, and Veronica slowly raised them, slipping the material over Sara's eyes, undoing the pins that held the woman's long brown hair back in the process. A small sound of protest spilled from Sara's lips before she could stop herself.

Veronica smiled wide. "What was that?" she murmured darkly.

Sara remained silent, faintly squirming and unable to see the sadistic look on her captor's face. She knew, regardless; I could see it in the tension of her shoulders, the lowering of her chin as she strained to hear each and every sound.

The symbolism was not lost on me as I felt Raven shift slightly on the couch. I had no way of knowing how far this would go, how long it would take, where I would be at the finish. I just knew that Raven would be there. It was comforting and terrifying as I thought about it more. I was meta-human. I was stronger, faster, and more resilient than a normal person. I had a higher pain tolerance. I was harder to kill. How appealing that must be to Raven, especially since I was willing. I stifled a shudder.

Veronica backed away from Sara, creeping out of hearing range as she stepped in rhythm with the music, masking her location. The brunette turned her head at every little sound she heard, and I could see her jaw clench. She jerked at her bound wrists again and again, with a little more desperation as the idle seconds ticked by. And Veronica circled, predatory and calculating, watching her prey struggle. She crept up behind Sara and murmured in her ear.

"Is there something wrong?"

Sara inhaled sharply, surprised by the closeness, and I heard the faint whimper escape her lips. The sound struck a chord in me, and I squirmed, horribly aroused.

"Do you have something to say?" the blond asked lightly as she trailed a fingertip along the woman's jaw; even I could sense the trap that question really was.

Sara remained silent until a hand connected with her cheek hard enough to wretch her head to the side. She grunted at the slap, cringing slightly as if she'd expected it. "No, my lady," she said softly, voice coated in something I couldn't describe.

"I didn't think so," Veronica cooed, and she pulled an object out of the sleeve of her robes. A flash of something metallic caught the light, and I realized it was a blade. A sliver of alarm crept through me, immediately followed by anticipation as I watched her trace the edge of the blade along the woman's throat.

Sara stilled, instincts familiar with the dangers of the object so close to her vulnerability. She gasped as the tip of the blade dipped below the material of her dress, parting it effortlessly between her breasts. Veronica tilted her head to the side, making a satisfied sound as she traced the newly exposed skin with her fingertips.

I squirmed in my seat, irritated that the demon was keeping her hands to herself, and relieved that she was. My skin was almost crawling as I watched; yearning for touch as strongly as the fear deemed it unwise. It was torture, wondrous torture.

Sara groaned as Veronica slipped her hands around her waist and turned her to face the poster of the bed. The blond ran her fingers through Sara's hair, almost lovingly, before she pressed herself up against the bound woman, grinding her into the post roughly. Sara arched her back, hissing faintly, jerking at her wrists all the while trying not to moan. Veronica, it seemed, was quite determined to hear that moan.

So was everyone else in the room.

The blade brushed across the back of Sara's neck, trailing beneath her dress, slicing down, down, down. The curve of her spine now exposed, Veronica slipped her hand across the pale, smooth skin, caressing while her lips brushed along Sara's neck. Her lips were moving, murmuring things far too softly for me to hear. Sara heard them, and she writhed and arched against the post, desperately wanting to moan but not quite defeated enough to voice it.

_Fuck_, I stared. One word, many meanings, and the only logical answer to all the questions whirling around in my head. Beside me, I felt Raven smile.

Veronica made a sound low in her throat, mildly threatening, and Sara's lips parted. _So close_, she thought. The blond shifted, moving her hand low around the woman's waist as she brought the blade to rest between her shoulder blades.

"Sara…" she murmured, warning cloaked in the knowledge that regardless of the brunette's answer, she was going to continue.

But Sara only tensed further, chest rising and falling with increasing urgency.

A gleam shown in Veronica's blue eyes as she drew the blade downward, agonizingly slow. Sara's body surged upward as she arched her back, bottom lip pinched between her teeth. The first droplet of blood welled up from the part in her flesh and a primal sound tore from her throat; the epitome of ecstasy. A shudder ran through the room at the sound of Sara's rapture. The woman went pliant beneath Veronica's hands.

"Shh," she soothed in Sara's ear as she caressed her gently, rewarding her submission. She reached up, releasing the binds from the post. Sara would have slumped to the floor in a heap if Veronica hadn't been supporting her weight. And I didn't blame her.

A man emerged from the doorway Veronica had entered from. He wore long, linen pants and nothing more, and he strode over to the two women with eyes downcast. He scooped up Sara, gently holding her against him, and he carried her away without a word. Veronica watched him go for a moment before her eyes turned to the onlookers with a faint smile. Then those eyes locked with mine, and the smile turned to something else.

Raven touched my knee again, and I blinked away to look her in the eyes.

"Are you alright?" she asked quietly, quite content.

I almost laughed.

She sensed it, I'm sure, because she quirked a smile. "We should go, it's late."

"I'm not sure my legs will work just yet," I managed. Then I chanced a glance at Veronica still standing expectantly beside the bed, watching me. "On second thought, yes. Let's go."

Raven chuckled and stood, holding her hand out. I took it without question, letting her help me to my feet. I licked my lips, inhaling deeply as I watched the other couples remain in their seats, all eyes on Raven and I. Did they think I was going to be next? _Of course they do. You're horribly oblivious sometimes, Jinx_. I pointedly ignored Veronica and sent Raven a look implying my intense desire to leave.

And she led us towards the door, pausing briefly as she held it open for me; she sent Veronica a look across the room. _Not today_, it said. _Maybe next time._ I ignored it, having way too much to process at the time. I was thankful when we emerged from the draped hall into the large front room. Only a few people remained now, and I walked beside Raven as we headed for door.

The fresh air was greatly welcomed, and I inhaled deeply, running a hand through my hair. I'd survived.

Raven was watching me, reading my thoughts, cataloguing my body language. With her, a normal conversation was almost pointless. "Would you like me to take you home or to your car?" she asked softly.

I'd completely forgotten about my car. I'd forgotten about what I'd done the past four days, actually. "Uhm…" I scratched my head, uncaring at the tactlessness. "Home. Please," I blinked at her, trying not to smile.

It was useless of course. But then it vanished just as quickly when she held out her hand again, expectantly. I glanced over at her car.

"It will take far too long," she cajoled, "even with my driving. It's almost six now."

I sighed. Eventually I'd have to face that scary blackness again. Why not now, when I was already beyond unhinged. I took her hand.

In a blink, I was standing in my living room. "Holy fucking shit!" I exclaimed, wiping my hands all over myself, trying to rid the feeling of death that clung to my skin.

"It's not that bad," she deadpanned, brushing a strand of her long hair back into place.

My teeth chattered for a second or two before I shook off the darkness. "The fuck it is," I huffed. A few seconds went by and my feigned annoyance bled back to genuine nervousness as Raven stood there calmly, eyes alight with things I didn't have a name for.

"I will see you tomorrow," she said, trying to keep away the smile that threatened to curve her lips.

"Uh-huh," I hazarded, shuffling slightly. What the hell did she have planned for tomorrow? Did I even want to think about it? _Of course you do…_

I froze when she stepped up to me, as her fingers brushed my cheek and she brought her lips against mine in the softest of kiss. I don't know how I managed to stay standing because my entire body felt like jell-o by this point. But somehow, I pulled it together enough to slip my hand tentatively around her waist, prolonging the kiss for a few seconds more before she pulled away with a secret smile on her lips.

And like before, she vanished in a puff of faintly black mist.

_I have plans for you_, that smile said. _It will be a good death_, I chimed.


	7. Chapter 7

I don't know how I managed to sleep last night, let alone get up and function adequately enough to get myself to work. If I dreamed at all, I did not remember them. I just woke with this horrible arousal of all the senses. My thoughts kept drifting back to the soft cushions of the couch touching my skin; the smell of leather, stone, earth, and the undeniably satisfying scent of pleasure; the soft music, the sharp intakes of breath, the low murmur of voices dripping in things I didn't have a name for. And then there was Raven sitting beside me, so calm and poised I wanted to wipe the look off her face. That was her plan, after all. She wanted to watch me squirm. And the most frustrating thing about it all is that regardless of how much I tried not to show it, Raven knew exactly what I was feeling, thinking, longing for. Gods, that woman drove me crazy.

"Yoo-hoo, earth to Jen."

"What?" I blinked up at my name. Ben was staring at me from across the bar.

"I would ask what's got you so distracted, but I already have a feeling I know what it is," he smirked as he sat on a stool, writing out the liquor order.

I scowled, returning to the sink where I was washing a new batch of wine glasses. "I'm not distracted."

"Hey, it's okay that you are. I mean if I had some dark-haired, dark-eyed, five foot six woman with a voice that can melt stone after me, I'd be distracted too…"

"Thanks for reminding me," I deadpanned. "I'd almost forgotten."

He laughed. "Aw, Jen, it can't be that bad…"

He didn't have a freaking clue. I sent him a look. "Benjamin, do you have any idea where I spent last night with this woman you so approve of?"

His eyebrows rose and he set down his pen. "Well I don't know, Jennifer, I didn't think you'd be one to put out so soon."

"Fuck you," I splashed him with sudsy water. "I didn't sleep with her. Yet."

"Ahhh, okay, I'll bite." He wiped the water off his list carefully and eyed me. "Where were you last night?"

"To be honest, I have no idea. But it was some very discrete BDSM joint."

His eyes widened and he leaned forward. "You're shitting me. What was it like? What did you see? Did you participate?"

"Easy there, spaz," I set the rack of glasses into the dishwasher and kicked it closed. "No, I did not participate. There were quite a few men and women wearing little leather outfits, low lighting, drinks, and a subtle buzz to the atmosphere. And I watched a scene between two women. I almost died."

"Oh my god, Jen, you have to find out where this place is. I want to go!"

"I will see what I can do, Ben, but getting information out of Raven comes with a price."

He smiled slowly, eyes alight. "We both know it's a price you're more than willing to pay, little kitty. I'll bet you were quite the excitement at a place like that, weren't you?"

I remembered Veronica's eyes running over me eagerly, like I was a fine creature she looked forward to breaking. I rubbed at my neck, blinking at Ben. "Call me that again and you will be looking for your testicles."

He held up his hands. "Okay, okay, touchy subject. Do you at least know some information about this Raven?"

Oh, I knew things that should never be spoken aloud. I knew she was hunting me slowly, and I was letting her. I knew she valued me to some extent and that it was my only saving grace. "I know very little about her. I don't even know where she lives."

He made a sour face. "Well that's not good at all. You need to snoop around. What's her last name?"

I shrugged. "As far as I know, she doesn't have one…"

"That's absurd. Of course she has a last name. Okay, what about the kind of car she drives?"

I'd almost forgotten. "I know her license plate number," I reached for a bar napkin and scribbled it out. _9B1313Z_. "It was a black 370Z."

He whistled low. "Wow. What does she do that she can afford a nice car like that?"

"That is a very good question, Benjamin." Knowing Raven, it could be anything. And after last night, I get the feeling that she was quite the hit at Veronica's. People pay good money to watch that sort of thing; even more if they participate. I shivered, wondering just what she did with Sara. Then a flash of jealously shot through me and I paused.

Okay, so I wanted Raven all to myself. I mean, have you looked at the woman for christ's sake? People fall all over themselves just to look at her. Now I knew where she spends her leisure time and I'm jealous. _Great. This is just fucking great_.

"You know, Ebin's dad is a police officer. I bet if you go sweet talk him, he can call his dad and have him run the plate," Ben smiled at me.

"That's genius," I snatched up the napkin and headed for the kitchen.

"You're welcome," he called after me.

I shouldered through the swinging double doors into the kitchen and found Ebin peeling potatoes. He flashed me a grin.

"And what do I own this dubious pleasure," he bowed.

"Cut the shit," I handed him the napkin. "I need a favor."

His eyebrows shot up and he threw his hand over his heart dramatically. "Oh my lord, I knew this day would come. There is a god up there somewhere," he laughed at the scowl I wore and looked over the writing on the napkin. "What kind of favor?"

"Can you have your dad run that license plate and see who it belongs to?"

"What, did you hit someone's car again?"

"No," I crossed my arms impatiently.

He quirked a brow, thinking. "Does this have something to do with the incredibly attractive vixen that was asking for you last night?"

I almost laughed. "Yeah, you can say that. I want to know her last name and where she lives. Can you do that for me, please?"

He smirked, giving me a devilish look. "Say please again…"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Please, Ebin…"

"Mmm… of course I will, Jenny," he went to the sink to wash his hands. "It's just your luck that my dad is on shift at the moment. I will call him and see what he can come up with."

"Thank you, it means a lot to me. I'll buy you a whole case of Jack Daniels for this."

"You know, for a lesbian, you do know the way to a man's heart," he teased.

"Oh shut up," I punched him playfully in the arm and headed back up front. Ben had finished the order and was slicing lemons, limes, and oranges. "Ebin's going to call his dad."

"Perfect," he grinned. "And I'll bet that after last night, you're pretty eager to find out where she lives."

I snatched an orange slice from his pile and peeled off the skin. "Don't think that just because we are good friends and all that I will tell you what goes on behind closed doors."

"Aww, come on! Dudes share that kind of info with each other," he complained.

"I'm not a dude," I slipped the slice between my lips and chewed slowly, watching him.

He shook his head slowly and inhaled deeply. "No, you're definitely not a dude…"

"Glad we had this conversation, Ben," I patted him on the shoulder and went back to my glasses in the sink.

Slowly, customers trickled in, and by 9 the place was barely half-full; impressive for a Monday night, but incredibly boring with two bartenders. I had a lot of downtime, and despite my attempts otherwise, my thoughts drifted to Raven and how incredibly aroused I'd been since I'd first seen her three days ago. It was this long, slow, gradual building of frustration and need. It had been quite a while since I'd gotten laid, I admit, which probably didn't help the matter.

But it was Raven. I mean, damn. She'd matured beautifully with age and experience these past eight years, transforming from an angst-ridden, meek teenager into this woman that could completely disarm you with one look. The fact that she could read your mind, materialize at will, and control forces beyond your comprehension was sheer overkill. She was a force to be reckoned with, and I am not ashamed to admit that I was thrilled to be on her good side presently.

Around 10, Ebin wandered up to the bar with a pleased look on his face. "How much do you love me?"

I glanced down at the paper in his hands. "Only marginally so."

He rolled his eyes. "Will you just humor me for once? I mean damn, woman."

I huffed. "Ebin, I love you so very much for doing this favor for me."

"It loses the effect when it's said in an insincere tone, Jennifer," he chimed as he handed me the paper.

I snatched it up, looking over his neat, tiny handwriting. _Raven DeLint. 4712 Cliffton Drive, Apartment 21_. My lips curved into a Cheshire cat grin and I glanced over at Ben.

He raised a brow and glanced at the clock. "Go, Jen."

I dashed over and gave him a quick hug. "You're the best," I breathed, and snatched my keys from under the bar.

Ebin was pouting. "Where's my hug?"

I paused beside him and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Ebin," I purred before darting through the kitchen doors. I heard him shout after me.

"One day, Jennifer, one day I swear…"

I drove like a maniac all the way home. I couldn't help it. I was filled with this urgent need to find Raven. I changed out of my work clothes and threw on a pair of dark blue jeans and a low cut shirt before I settled down at my computer. I typed in the address and voila, a map to Raven's apartment. I scribbled down some directions and headed back to my car. I had no idea where Raven was at this very moment, but I had to go check out where she lived.

It took fifteen minutes of driving before I pulled into the apartment complex. Immediately I scanned the parked cars, looking for Raven's. Not finding it, I circled around the lot, trying to spot apartment 21 from my car. When I did, I drove around to the opposite side of the complex and parked my car beside a large pickup truck. Some habits were hard to break, and being sly about leaving a trail was one of them. It was fortunate for me, at least.

I carefully walked around the complex and ascended the stairs to the second floor. As I neared the door, I held my breath and strained to hear any sounds coming from inside apartment 21. Do I knock? _No, no_. I fiddled with my jacket and glanced around for prying eyes. I reached onto my pocket, pulled out my wallet, and sifted through the contents. A wide smile spread across my lips when my fingertips brushed cool metal and I pulled out two thin lock picks. Ok, so I had another habit that was hard to break. I was an ex-thief. That's like saying someone was an ex-Marine. Ex doesn't change the fact that they excelled at what they did; doesn't erase it from their repertoire of abilities.

I knelt down, bringing the lock to eye level. As I slid the metal picks into the mechanism, I decided I was a tad bit rusty. It took a few more tries than I'd liked, but I got the doorknob unlocked. I reached up and fiddled with the deadbolt, having to pause and look around at every little sound I heard. Paranoia keeps you alive. The clean sound of the lock sliding open gave me a sense of relief immediately followed by anxiety. What was going to be in this apartment? Was it really Raven's? Only one way to find out.

I stood and opened the door.

Immediately my eyes traveled to a soft light pooling in the corner of the dark room. My heart was in my throat as I looked over the small lamp left on beside an overstuffed leather chair. The floor was hardwood and made no sound as I walked into the room. I glanced to my left at an unlit doorway I guessed to be the kitchen. No sound in the apartment, aside from the soft breeze of air pouring out of the vent in the ceiling. No other lights. I turned around and locked the door behind me before I shuffled nervously, albeit it curiously, into this apartment. It smelled like lavender and chamomile tea, and I reached out to brush my fingers along the short black coat that was draped over the arm of a leather loveseat. It definitely was Raven's apartment. I approached the chair and spotted a mug of still-steaming tea resting on the table beneath the lamp.

My heat thudded loudly in my chest. She wasn't in the apartment. There was a freshly steeping cup of tea. Her jacket was draped by the door. I needed to leave. This was a stupid fucking idea.

The doorknob jiggled. I froze, horrified, as I heard a key slip into the lock.

Absolute panic overcame me, and I stood there like an idiot with nowhere to run. Where could I possibly go?

The first lock clicked cleanly open and I shifted from foot to foot as the key slid into the deadbolt._ Fuck, fuck!_

The door wooshed open and Raven stood in the doorway. There was a stack of mail in her hand. She stared at me in a silence so uncomfortable I could barely breathe.

And I just stood there, frozen in place, completely clueless as to what I could do or say to prevent her from flailing me alive. I swallowed, blinked, clenched my jaw.

"Was this a little sooner than you wanted to see me?" I said nervously.

Raven took a step into her apartment that managed to be not only casual but menacing. When she shut the door and locked it behind her, I felt my stomach drop to my feet. And when she turned and faced me with that look in her eyes and that smile on her lips, I knew.

"I think it's time you dance for me, Jinx," the demon purred.

Oh Gods. Someone save me.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: The follow chapter is rated MA for sexual content, adult themes, and mild violence. Proceed with caution.

And most importantly; enjoy.

~Khaleda

* * *

I nervously took a step away from the woman that just caught me uninvited in her apartment. I was desperately trying to gauge whether I amused her or angered her by my foolishly forward stunt. My mouth was already dry and no words would come even if I'd wanted to say something.

Raven set the stack of mail down on the table beside the door, watching me. In the darkness of her apartment, she seemed even more dangerous; especially the way the soft glow of the lamp cast a faint glimmer across her dark, violet eyes. It only served to arouse me further.

"How did you find this address?" she said softly.

I licked my lips, unsure of her tactics. "Google is my friend."

The smile she flashed me wasn't an amused one. "Don't be cute."

_Ah, okay, bad move. Try again_. "Your license plate."

She blinked at me and circled around the loveseat at a slow, methodical pace. "That's very clever, Jinx."

She sounded genuinely impressed. Had I scored myself a point? I watched the way she prowled around the loveseat and immediately thought of Veronica. _Oh gods, oh gods_. "Your car wasn't in the parking lot."

"No, it's not," she paused by the arm of the chair, effectively blocking my escape should I be stupid enough to try it. I wasn't that stupid.

I shifted, rolling my shoulders to shrug out of my jacket. If I was going to have to deal with Raven, I was at least going to do it comfortably. "It's still there, isn't it." I set my jacket down on the chair.

"Mmhmm," she smiled.

Gods, I just wanted to wipe that look right off her goddamn face! I paused, regarding her carefully. Why didn't I? What was stopping me? She was just standing there calmly, giving me a level stare. She almost looked…curious. I was mildly suspicious, but she was wearing a black long sleeved button up blouse that dipped low in a v-neck. My eyes traveled slowly down from the hollow of her throat to the curve of her breasts. I continued downward, lingering on the dark pants that clung to her hips in a way that made me want to slip my hands around her, press her against me. …What was I doing again?

"Why are you here, Jinx?"

The sound of her voice startled me with its richness. I inhaled slowly, willing my heart to beat just a little bit slower so I could hear myself think. Why was I here? That's a simple enough question. I waited for the answer to come to me. Surely it would. _Right?_ A shadow of a smile darkened her lips as the seconds ticked by. _Right?? _I glanced at the door.

"Do you wish to leave?"

Another simple question. This woman was the absolute devil. Of course I didn't want to leave. I wanted to walk up to her and… I licked my lips again and narrowed my eyes. "Why did you take me to that place last night?"

Her eyes lit up and that faint smile grew. "You enjoyed it."

Well, it's not like I could deny it. Especially since she was probably reading my thoughts as I think this. "Yes, I enjoyed it. Answer the question."

She raised an elegant brow at my tone. "I took you there to see what you would do."

Of course she would. Of course she would… "And did you have any intentions of letting Veronica get her hands on me?"

An amused look flashed across her face. "No, I did not." She took a step closer and something possessive replaced the amusement. "I want you all to myself."

My stomach fluttered and my flesh warmed. My thoughts cycled through a rapid trailer of passion; wandering hands, rough motions, deep kissing, moans in my ear, panting breath… I clenched my fist in an effort to ground myself. What was I doing just standing there? More importantly, why was she just standing there?

_To see what I would do. _

It was so glaringly obvious I had to resist the urge to slap myself. All this time she had been testing me, seeing to what extent I would follow her, how deep my understanding was, how I would react to shocking revelations. Damnit, why did it take me so long to figure it out? I studied her eyes for a moment, noting that behind that predatory gleam, there was a depth to this woman that few would even see, let alone understand. She felt I was worth the risk. And she wanted me to dance for her… what a fine way to word that statement_. Well then, better make it a good show._

Slowly, a smirk twisted the corners of my lips and I gestured around the apartment. "Well, you have me all to yourself." I took a step closer, tilting my head down to peer at her from around my bangs. "You might even say that I'm here for your entertainment."

Raven paused.

Encouraged, I took another step closer with an exaggerated slowness. I could almost feel her muscles coil beneath her skin as I grew near; it thrilled me. Her eyes darkened, face going blank with focus as I closed the distance between us and stared at her mere inches away. Teasingly slow I tilted my head, lips hovering just out of reach of her jaw; only my hot breath touched her, and she coiled up even more.

"What are you thinking, Raven?" I whispered in her ear.

"The same thing you are," her voice was low and coated in a purr that sent a wave of heat between my legs.

I inhaled a shaky breath, and nearly gasped when her hand found my waist. I looked into her eyes and murmured "And what am I think—"

I was shoved up against the wall before I could finish my sentence. Raven's warm body was pressed into me and her lips captured mine in a kiss so needful and urgent, I nearly died right then and there. Liquid fire flooded me and I moaned when our tongues met; I reached up to tangle my fingers in her silky smooth hair. My other hand wrapped around her back, clutching her to me while she moved against me in a motion that made my pulse quicken. _Fuck, yes_. She pulled away from the kiss long enough to pull my bottom lip between her teeth, nibbling softly in contrast to the hand that wrenched my arm above my head and held it there.

I gasped, writhing against the wall as her other hand slipped between my legs, pressing against me through the pants I really wished I wasn't wearing. I groaned, arching my back, trying to pull her head closer so our lips could touch again; but she was too strong and only smirked just of out range.

"You're thinking that you want to wipe that smile right off my face," she murmured, rubbing against me in long, slow, hard strokes that were agonizingly welcomed.

I growled at her and her eyes lit up.

"That's a dangerous sound, Jinx," she leaned in, grazing her teeth down my neck, grinding her hips against me. "I like it."

Her tone made me wetter than I already was. With a frustrated sound, I shoved her back as hard as I could. She stumbled backwards a step, but it was all I needed. I tackled her into the loveseat, immediately straddling her lap. My hands slipped around the back of her neck and I kissed her, deeply, drinking in her taste and smell. She moaned so quietly I barely heard, and it sent goose bumps across my flesh.

Her hands slipped beneath the edge of my shirt and up my back, caressing me, pressing me against her. I ground down into her lap, yearning for more contact. Suddenly she raked her nails down my spine and I shuddered as a strangled sound escaped my lips at the pleasurable sensation. She broke from the kiss and yanked the shirt over my head in a quick jerk of her wrists; it fluttered to the floor somewhere behind the loveseat.

I shivered slightly at the cool air. When her warm hands moved across my abdomen I squirmed, watching her. Her eyes ran over my skin in a way that made my heart thump with anticipation. Her fingertips brushed up between my breasts, lingering on the soft curves hidden behind the material of my black bra. They continued upward, tracing my collar bone lightly before moving to my shoulder and down my arm. The softness of the touch was like fire, and I bit my lip, grinding against her.

Her hand encircled my wrist and pain shot up my arm. I was suddenly on my back, lying lengthwise across the couch with a smiling demon lying on top of me. I writhed, groaning as she pinned both wrists above my head with one hand; her other cupped my breast as her lips met mine once again.

I'd never been kissed the way Raven kissed me. It was like I could feel her slip beneath my skin, pump through my veins like a drug that took me to an indescribable place. Her scent filled my lungs; lavender, warmth, and an exotic, smooth something that was uniquely Raven. She felt _so_ goddamn good I could barely stand it. I moved my hips against her in a long, sensual motion that left nothing to the imagination. I needed her inside me. Now.

She smiled against my lips then, and I stilled as she pulled away to look down at me. I squirmed, tugging at my pinned wrists; her smile grew. Her index finger touched the hollow of my throat and slowly, agonizingly, traced down my flesh. I inhaled as she moved over the muscles of my abdomen, involuntarily arching my back into the contact. _Lower, lower_, I begged in my mind. I bucked my hips into her and her finger stopped just above the hem of my pants.

I hissed, jerking my arms in frustration. She was teasing me! Hadn't she teased me enough these past four days?

"Tell me what you want, Jinx," she said, voice dipped in a sultry blend of arousal and eagerness that struck a chord in me like a finely tuned instrument, plucked and strummed beneath the touch of a virtuoso.

A small sound escaped my lips, and I ground my hips into her again, harder, more urgently.

"Tell me," she repeated, fingertip tracing the lines of my abs again. There was no harshness to her tone, no command; just a resigned patience that always seemed to be a pillar of Raven's character. Before, it was endearing. Now, cloaked in the implications of the situation, it made my blood run hot and mind race as I realized just how long this could go on for.

"I don't want," I panted, licking my lips.

She tilted her head to the side, eyes sharp and curious in the darkness of the apartment.

"I need," I moved my hips against her again, craning my neck, wishing she was closer. "I need you inside me," I murmured. "Fast. Rough. Now."

Absolute pleasure illuminated her face for a brief moment before that predatory expression surged to the surface. She released my hands and yanked me forward long enough to remove my bra before I was shoved back down across the couch. She unsnapped my jeans and suddenly I was completely naked. The leather was cool against my skin, and I inhaled sharply when Raven lay on top of me, wrapped her hand around the back of my neck, and stole the breath from me with a kiss. Then I felt her fingertips brush across the wetness between my legs and I jerked, writhing against her, frantic with need.

She thrust two fingers deep inside me; I moaned loudly into her, and she consumed it eagerly, beginning a rhythm of thrusts while her thumb pressed and rubbed against me. I clutched at her, digging my fingers into her back, meeting her thrusts with my own. I broke away from the kiss; gasping for air, head tilted back in sheer bliss. Just when I'd caught my breath, her thrusting grew harder, faster. I raked my nails down her back, clawing at the shirt she still wore as her fingers caressed and curved in all the right places. Fuck, she was good.

Her lips moved down my neck to my shoulder, teeth and tongue sending paired sensations, adding to my heightened state. I gasped when her teeth clamped down in a gentle bite; I sensed the potential that Raven already knew was there, and she moved on.

A rough thrust changed the rhythm, and I arched my back, moaning through my shallow, panted breath.

Her lips toyed with the lobe of my ear, sending puffs of hot air across the moist flesh that drove me absolutely insane with arousal. I could feel it building beneath my skin, seeping through my muscles, conquering my bones in its primal, ancient quest for completion.

A sheen of sweat coated my skin. My motions grew less and less controlled as Raven's fingers and lips drove me towards the climax I so desperately needed.

"You're close," she purred in my ear.

I groaned, sliding my hands down to cup her ass, grinding her into me harder. She tangled her fingers in my hair, nuzzled my cheek, and curved her fingers just so… I gasped, breath coming in rapid, erratic pants as orgasm neared. _So close, so close, just a few more—_

Her fingers pulled out from inside me and Raven stilled, eyes black as the night sky and watching me.

A sound I'd never heard before crawled out from the depths of me as a snarl; it resonated, vibrating through my skin at the denial of what I needed. I bared my teeth at the demon inches from my face; her grip in my hair keeping my head safely away.

Her lips quirked into a most wicked smile. "That's what I wanted to hear," she murmured.

And she thrust back inside me fast and hard enough to make the sound catch in my throat. I shuddered, motions frenzied as I thrust my hips into her, against the fingers she so masterfully led me with. My vision lost its focus and I opened my mouth to moan.

Raven yanked my head to the side and sunk her teeth into my shoulder.

Ecstasy ravaged me; a cry tore from my lips and my back arched sharply. I clawed at her flesh, the leather of the couch, anything within reach as wave after wave of rapture pulsed through my body with each thump of my heart. I tasted blood but didn't care why. I was out of my mind and I felt… I felt…

Raven released the bite, licking, kissing, and nibbling her way to my ear. "You feel so fucking good…"

A sob of bliss left my lips and I wrapped my arms around her, clutching her to me tightly. Her thrusting continued riding out the orgasm she'd drawn from me. I was trembling, taking deep, gasping breaths that didn't seem to bring enough air.

Gradually her thrusting ceased and she pulled out of me, rolling onto her side. I buried my face in the crook of her neck, twitching, shuddering at every little touch.

"Shh," she soothed, gently caressing the curve of my spine as I tried to catch my mind.

_Holy fucking goddamn shit_. I inhaled her scent, trying to calm down. I couldn't remember ever having an orgasm that amazing before. In fact, at the moment, I couldn't remember a goddamn thing. I was mush in Raven's arms. I pulled back to look up into her eyes.

She smiled softly and bent down to kiss away the blood on my lip. Apparently I'd bitten it. I couldn't remember when.

I don't know how long we stayed like that. I just remember listening to the even rhythm of Raven's heart beating beside my ear. It was comforting. My breathing had finally returned to almost normal and I sighed a sound filled with contentment. And then I blinked back to Raven's eyes and my heart skipped a beat.

There was a smile on her lips that I was wary of. She must have seen the question in my expression because her eyes darkened another shade.

"You're not finished," she purred.

I swallowed, blinking at her. I could barely move.

"I gave you what you needed," she said, tone airy as she stood, "and now it's your turn to give me what I need."

I smirked up at her and ran my eyes over her slowly. Oh, I would more than gladly give Raven what she needs. I sat up on my elbows, watching her. "And just what is it that you need, Raven?"

Her eyes flickered to the darkened doorway across the way; her bedroom, I assumed. A shiver ran down my skin, having little to do with being cold. _Her bedroom…_

She extended her hand to me and I took it. That pleased Raven. I could tell by the way her shoulders relaxed in one way and tightened in another, more ulterior way as she pulled me to my feet and led me into the unknown depths of her domicile.

Already my senses were in overdrive, and I picked up every touch to grace my skin, every scent, every sound. The hardwood was cool beneath my bare feet as we crossed into this new room. My suspicions were confirmed when Raven flicked her wrist and a soft light filtered through the room; my mouth went dry at the sight of her bed. It was massive, with dark ebony wood frame, a solid headboard, and an ominously arching canopy that crossed an x above the bed. Everything about it screamed quality, care, and tried and tested stability…

"Nice bed," I said quietly, suddenly nervous.

"Isn't it?" she trailed her fingertips across the black and grey comforter and yanked it off the mattress with a quick jerk.

Black satin sheets. _Of course she sleeps on black satin sheets…._

"As soon as I saw it I had to claim it as my own," she mused, and tugged me towards it. She released my hand and gestured faintly to the bed.

_Of course she wants me to get on it…_ I slid onto of the silky sheets, feeling my arousal stirring once again. I watched Raven as she prowled around the bed to a dresser against the far wall. She stepped out of her shoes and began slowly unbuttoning her shirt. I shifted eagerly on the bed but paused when she undid the last button and left the shirt on. She opened a drawer, and pulled out a long silk chord. My heart leapt to my throat when she turned towards me. I shifted backwards on the bed until I hit the headboard. I knew now what Raven needed… _Oh… oh gods…_

A flash of amusement colored her eyes. "Where do you think you're going Jinx?"

_Away from you…_ I blinked, remembering last night. Remembering Sara. "Nowhere, just… giving you a good show," I murmured, eying her dark colored bra and smooth stomach peeking out from the part in her blouse. What a distraction. What an _evil_ distraction.

The demon glided up onto the bed and her sudden closeness startled me. She knelt an arm's length away from me, silk chord coiled neatly in her left hand.

"Come here, Jinx," she said softly.

I hesitated, eyeing the chord, the solid wooden bed frame, the creeping smile spreading on Raven's face. I knew it wasn't really a request, despite the lack of command in her voice. I wanted to please her. I shuddered at the thought of admitting that to myself. Slowly I slid the twenty-four inches until our knees touched.

Raven reached out, cupping my cheek; she pulled me close for a gentle kiss that lacked the hunger of our previous kisses. And yet, I sensed something clandestine about it that sent a wave of heat between my legs. She nuzzled my cheek softly before she reached into her back pocket and pulled out a thick strip of silk the same color as the chord in her other hand.

Instantly my pulse raced.

"What are you thinking?" Raven murmured as she slid around behind me, hands caressing across my stomach as her lips teased my ear.

It will be a good death.

She grasped my wrists and shoved me forward; I was sprawled across the satin on my stomach, arms pinned above my head, and Raven spooning me, holding me in place with her presence. I could feel her breasts pressing into my back; her skin was so warm. I squirmed in aggravation, wanting to run my fingers over that smooth skin.

A growl rumbled by my ear and I jerked at my wrists.

I yelped when she yanked my left arm backwards, pressing my hand into the small of my back. Silk chord wrapped around my wrist and I bucked my hips, flailing with my other hand, trying to throw her off. She chuckled, succeeding in knotting the chord. But I managed to twist away enough to roll onto my back.

Suddenly I was looking up into deep violet eyes framed by black hair, with a pair of very tone legs straddling my waist. The curve of her breasts looked delicious from this angle_. Fuck, she is hot_. I paused, staring. Then I howled in frustration at the idiocy of it all when Raven snatched my other wrist and bound them together.

"Is there something wrong?" she smiled too sweetly.

"You're the goddamn devil," I hissed through gritted teeth, seething at my stupidity and her trickery.

She threw her head back and laughed a sound I felt in my bones. The breath caught in my throat as I felt myself grow wet.

"You've no idea," she murmured darkly as she sat back and pulled my arms above my head.

I flailed, managing to jerk loose of her grip. Unfortunately I'd forgotten how slippery satin sheets were and I slid right off the damn bed. I swore as I crashed into the hardwood. Somewhere above me, Raven laughed again.

"Silly Jinx," she reached down, grabbing the end of the long silk chord in one hand and a fistful of my hair in the other. I hissed as she wrenched my head backwards and dragged me back up onto the bed. "We can't have _you_ hurting yourself. It will ruin my fun."

I kicked my feet out, trying to push her away from me. It only earned me a face full of sheet and Raven's knee in my back, pressing down painfully hard. I groaned, writhing, trying to get away even though I knew it only aroused her. Even thought it only made it worse.

"I like this dance," her voice was a low rumble coated in heat. I shuddered. She sat back and then next thing I knew, my arms were jerked upwards. I blinked up at my wrist high above my head. She'd thrown the chord over the thick beams of the x, pulling me to a bound kneeling position in the center of her bed. My heart raced as I fought to keep my breathing under control.

She tied off the end of the chord to the beam and circled around me slowly, running her eyes up and down my flesh in an agonizingly slow show of possession. It was thrilling and equally infuriating . Oh, the twin blades of desire and denial… how I love and hate thee. She slipped behind me once again and I squirmed, trying to keep her in view. Then she pulled the blindfold over my eyes and tingles of anxiety, anticipation, and longing pricked across my skin.

"I know I've said it before," she nipped at the back of my neck as her hands toyed with the curve of my waist. "You're such a fascinating creature…"

I squirmed, chest heaving as an entirely new level of arousal hit me like a kick in the gut. And Raven knew. I could feel her smile.

She pressed up against my back. Her right hand lingered at my waist while the other traced a line up to my breasts. How her touch could feel so incredibly fantastic was beyond me. Now, blind and bound, it was exemplified and I shuddered. She cupped my breast, rolling my nipple gently between her fingers. I bit my lip, holding back the sound that threatened to escape.

"So stubborn," her voice chimed from behind. "Conflicted." Her fingers pinched a little harder and I jerked faintly. "Curious." Her teeth grazed the back of my shoulder. "Intelligent." Her nails raked across my side and I hissed sharply. "…resilient." Then her hand at my waist trailed down to brush between my legs and she murmured in my ear, "Aroused."

I clenched my thighs, trying to swallow back the moan that wanted to let Raven know just how right she was.

"But perhaps the most fascinating thing about you, Jinx, is that you're not black or white." Her fingers slowly circled the arousal she'd caused. "You inhabit that shade of grey; the in-between. You've the potential and capability to be either, or, and both."

I clenched my fists above my head, twisting my wrists even though I knew I couldn't get out of the silk chord. Raven was incredibly accurate, with everything. It was terrifying in a sense that had nothing to do with my literal nakedness, bound and bare in someone else's bed. I felt vulnerable and exposed by the way she so simply and easily spoke things I didn't even quite know about myself. She knew me, well, and she was so subtle about the way she let me know it I wondered how many secrets about myself she was keeping from me.

She pulled away from me and I jerked to stillness. I heard her get off the bed but lost track of her faint footsteps. My throat tightened and stomach clenched as I strained to hear. What was she doing? How could she be so irritatingly _quiet_…

"Years of practice."

I jerked backwards from her voice that whispered against my lips. Jesus Christ. I might have a heart attack.

Her lips trailed along my cheek while her hand slipped around my waist to press against the small of my back; crushing me against her. "I want to hear you cry out again," she whispered, deathly quiet.

I nearly did.

Her free hand trailed nails down my back painfully slow. I hissed, arching away from the touch, only pressing against Raven even more. Lower and lower those nails traveled, until they reached her other hand; both sets of nails raked upwards to my shoulders.

I whimpered, writhing_. Oh, fuck… oh fuck…_

Not discouraged, Raven smiled against my cheek. Her fingers explored along my side, moving down to trace the sensitive skin of my inner thigh with a menacing gentleness.

I quivered beneath her touch; willing, eager, and wary. My thoughts raced as quickly as my pulse as her fingers circled up around my waist and neared my clit. I moved against her and her fingers pulled away.

I growled, frustrated.

Then her fingers thrust roughly inside me and I choked out a moan. I writhed, straining my shoulders as I moved my hips against her. She thrust in a wild, unchecked rhythm. Her other hand tangled in my hair and jerked my head backwards. I shuddered a hiss as her lips, teeth, and tongue played across my throat. It was all almost too much to bear. I thought I might die from pleasure and intoned morbidly, that I would enjoy it.

Harder, deeper, faster, rougher, in, out, in out. I gasped, trying to breathe as another, more powerful orgasm mounted. She released my head and kissed me, devouring my mouth, exploring, conquering with her tongue in an art so exquisitely refined I do not have words to describe. She pulled away, kissing along my neck as I grew seconds closer to climax.

And again, her thrusting ceased. I coiled up, utterly frustrated and almost snarled; she made an amused sound against my cheek. I snapped my head forward and sunk my teeth into her neck.

Raven moaned; it was a raw, primal sound that came from deep inside her chest. The sound alone sent me over the edge, and I groaned, twitching and shuddering where I hang, refusing to release my bite.

Suddenly my wrists weren't above my head anymore and I felt Raven's hands unknotting the chord. As soon as it loosened, I ripped off my blindfold and wrapped my arms around her; I growled against her neck and she dug her fingers into my back.

It was like a switch was flipped inside me.

I let go of her neck and kissed her roughly while my hands ripped at her shirt and bra until they were no longer an obstacle. I shoved her back and yanked at her pants franticly. I flung them across the room and slid on top of her, reveling in the feeling of her skin pressed against mine. I kissed all along her neck and shoulders, explored her flesh with my hands. Her skin was unbelievably smooth; I wanted to rub all along her, coating myself in her scent and she in mine.

Raven moved her hips up into me and stared at me with half-crazed eyes. I didn't need to ask what she needed.

I brushed my fingertips down her stomach and between her legs; I almost came again when I felt how wet she was.

"Fuck…" I groaned, and slid inside her.

She threw her head back and clutched at me as I thrust into her roughly. There was nothing I wanted more in the world right now than to hear Raven cry out because of me. I was determined; possessed. I curved my fingers, rubbing and thrusting as she ground her hips into me with a violence that drove me mad with desire.

Her back arched the closer she got, and she moved so wildly I could barely hold onto her. Her hand shot out and snatched my hair, dragging my face inches from hers. Violet eyes locked with mine; they were so dark and alive I shuddered.

"Bite me," she breathed.

I felt her muscles clenching around my fingers and I licked my lips. She let go of my hair and I closed my mouth over her shoulder; I bit down hard.

Raven erupted.

The sound that came from that woman amidst the climax of her rapture almost killed me. It was the embodiment of pleasure, release; completion. She clutched at me, jerking and writhing chaotically. Her nails clawed down my back so hard they broke the skin.

I cried out, mouth still locked around her shoulder and Raven moaned again.

I trembled just as much as she did as I slowed my motions, waiting for her to calm down enough for me to let go of her shoulder. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew she was a bit beside herself and I didn't want her to surge forward in a bit of demonic ecstasy and actually hurt me.

When her hands gentled against my back I released her shoulder and collapsed on top of her. We both were coated in a sheen of sweat, breath heaving, eyes unfocused. I wrapped my arms around her and she held me tightly, brushing her lips across my cheek. I listened to her breathing grow steady and her heart thump beneath me. I felt a trickle of blood creep down my back and smiled slowly against her chest.

"Are you alright?" she murmured, voice completely sated and quite pleasant to the ears.

I laughed. "That's a stupid question, Raven…"

She chuckled and kissed me softly. "If you roll off of me I can tend to your wounds."

"You always know just what to say." I reluctantly slid off of her and she rolled off the bed. I heard her shuffle around in the bathroom down the hall before she returned with a cool, damp cloth. I moaned softly as she wiped down my back and dried it.

"That's quite the battle wound you have there, Jinx," she mused, tossing the cloth to the floor. She reached down and dragged the comforter up over us.

I didn't question when she settled beside me beneath the covers of her bed. A smile blossomed on my face and I couldn't begin to tell you why. "That's what I get for letting a demon have her way with me."

She traced her fingertips lightly up and down my side, smiling back at me. I was exhausted, utterly spent, completely satisfied and effectively useless as I sunk into the soft caress of Raven's bed. I blinked heavy lids at her and she kissed the tip of my nose.

"You're adorable," I said softly.

"Hardly," she smiled. "Go to sleep, Jinx."

It was a comforting feeling being in Raven's arms like that. I heard the unspoken implications of her words. _Go to sleep Jinx. I will watch over you. I will be here when you wake_. I smiled, softly, and heaved a sigh filled with our mingled scents. I closed my eyes and drifted off to Raven's soft breathing and gentle caresses.

_I was a good death_.


	9. Epilogue

There comes a time in everyone's life where you question your purpose. You look for meaning, signs, an omen to help explain the chaotic normalcy life on this planet brings. Some turn to god. Others reinvent traditions of the old and forgotten. I look to the stars. Astrology has always enthralled me with its eerie accuracy. Your sun sign, its placement along with all of the planets at the time of your birth enact this sort of fingerprint on your personality. Most people laugh at the thought of the horoscope in the newspaper having anything to do with their lives. For the most part, they're right; it's extremely vague and fortune-cookie-esque. However, if you get your hands on a book or article with correct information in it, you might be shocked to read secrets about yourself that you thought no one knew of.

Take me, for example. Quirky, quick-witted, flamboyant Jinx. I'm an Aquarius. People who are educated on that sort of thing would be able to guess that from my wardrobe alone, I'm sure. Aquarians have an odd style to them, the non-conformists of the Zodiac, if you will. We are sometimes absentminded, but in a mad-scientist, waiting for the mothership sort of way. We take extensive notes, on almost everything, especially our own reactions to things. Why? Well, why the hell not? I'm an incredibly fascinating person. You just read this whole damn story told from my perspective, after all. Alright then, moving on.

Each sign in the zodiac is ruled by one of the planets sulking around the sun in our galaxy. Aquarians are ruled by Uranus. This rebel planet rotates sideways at a 98 degree angle, completely unlike the other eight planets. Sound familiar? Uranus is the Greek equivalent of Oeranos, the god of the Sky. He was the father of the Titans; those little experiments than ran amok with chaos across the earth until the Gods themselves finally vanquished them. Are you following? Are things beginning to make a little bit more sense? Are you an Aquarian as well? Does your toothpaste often go missing because you used it as a bookmark or a wedge to keep your lab table level?

Enough about me, you've been in my head for 30,000 words already. Let's talk about Raven.

Raven has always fascinated me with her endless patience and self-discipline. With her ability to get back up on her feet after she came crashing down in a fiery inferno like a flesh and blood phoenix. Her enormous strength of will and loyalty are unshakeable, even with the impossible staring her in the face. Her courage is astounding; no matter how afraid she is, no matter who or what she faces, it never falters. Even herself, she faces, on a daily basis. Raven never gives up or gives in. Never have I come across a person where the phrase 'to the death' has rung so true.

Our dear Raven, is a Scorpio. Woah now, don't look so shocked. You knew it all along, secretly in the back of your mind. That's the way Scorpio's like it, you see. They are the undisputed sexual sign of the zodiac, with degrees in Sadism, self-destruction, and obsession. Scorpio's see the world as black or white, and have an annoying intuition that always seems to pick up the things you don't want anyone to know about. Blunt honesty, cryptic statements, and mysteriously absent backgrounds are typical of someone born under this sign. They are the people you don't want to mess with, because they never forget, or forgive, and they can wait an obscenely long time for revenge. …Sound familiar?

Scorpios are ruled by Pluto. Ahh, now you see. That tiny, frozen rock on the farthest reaches of the solar system. It lurks around in an exaggerated ellipse, sometimes dropping so low it crosses orbit with Neptune. It's a sneaky little fucker. Little is known about it, half the time you can't even see it, and it represents a most impressive concept. Pluto is the Roman version of the Greek God, Hades, ruler of the underworld and everything it contains; oil, riches, dead people. It represents sex, death, re-birth, and most importantly, transformation. But I will get back to that later.

Of all the good and bad that can be said about any of the other eleven signs, Scorpio has perhaps one of the darkest darksides imaginable. And with that comes a certain understanding for the darkside of humanity as a whole. A Scorpio appreciates the horrendous truths we lock deep inside ourselves. They are a fiercely loyal individual; they make great best friends and terrifying enemies.

Now, take into account all that you know about Raven. Set aside the fact that she's an empath, part-demon, can levitate, project her soul into another realm, travel the gap between time and space…all of that. Forget it for a moment and pretend that Raven is just a normal, unremarkable, twenty-six year old woman. Now think about the previous paragraphs describing some of Scorpio's likeable and not-so likeable traits. Pretty scary, huh? Okay, now add in all her demonic traits. Words fail you, don't they? Well, you've already read my feelings towards this woman.

Another trait of a Scorpio is their transforming qualities. If you happen to be in a relationship with one, friend, lover, victim, they will consciously, and subconsciously, work to remake you into a better person. They will take it upon themselves, with their deep insights into the workings of the world, to force you to look in the mirror; to face yourself, your weaknesses, your fears. Life is about change, and Scorpios are one of the driving forces behind that change.

Don't like it? Too bad. Because if you allow yourself to get close to one, they will change you, and short of changing your name and moving to Mexico, there is nothing you can do about it. They might even find you in Mexico, twenty years later when you thought you'd finally escaped the change because they forgot about you. They never do. They _never_ forget anything. Trust me on this. I did the same thing, moved to Eureka, and she got me in eight years… Help a Scorpio out and they will gladly bend over backwards to repay the favor. Fuck a Scorpio over and… well… may the force be with you.

So when you look to whatever you call your gods, seeking answer to life's big questions, you should ask yourself if the answer is in the transformation. We all have a Pluto in our lives somewhere, circling us in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike with absolute truths and bitter realities.

"Hey, Jen," Ben called from down the bar. I glanced up to see him pointing and turned towards that direction. A smile curved the corner of my lips as the aforementioned woman sat herself at the bar and arched a delicately elegant brow at me. I knew that look and exactly what it implied; _I miss you, I want you, let's go, now. _

Raven is my Pluto. And her timing, it should be said, is impeccable.


End file.
